Much More Than Black and White
by Tidus Ryan
Summary: From awkward beginnings through blazing realization to the joys and trials of raising a family.  My 1st fanfic  I hope you enjoy the journey it'll be a long one. ;  Ichiruki.  Switched to M to be safe.  Though not a lemon, lemony moments may occour.
1. On Patrol

**Much More than Black and White**

**Chapter One: On Patrol**

It had been a three years and three months since the Aizen incident was resolved. Since then, both Ichigo and Rukia had been assigned to Karukara as resident shinigami. Things had been far quieter these past few years, but hollow activity was far from nonexistent.

Ichigo was lying on a roof, Zangetsu in his outstretched hand. Rukia was sitting contemplatively on the apex, Sode No Shirayuki still sleeping within her scabbard. The sun was beating down on them as they rested on the rooftop, Rukia awaiting orders, Ichigo merely enjoying the day although he would much rather have been hanging out with Chad and the others rather than whiling away his precious Saturday on yet another eventless patrol nevertheless, duty called. Duty, these past three years had taught him just how tedious it could be, but in those three years he had come to realize the importance of even the tedious times, if they abandoned their duty out of boredom, many lives would be taken by the hollows. Ichigo remembered his words in the park after he had slain his first hollow, how could he have been so foolhardy back then? He grasped Zangetsu's hilt more tightly. He had become much stronger since then and maybe, he thought, a little wiser.

Tilting his head back, he looked up at Rukia; she was staring at her knees, her sapphire blue eyes half closed and her expression blank. Ichigo knew something was troubling her, but he did not know what and when he tried to confront her about it, she would always change the subject or ignore him completely.

She caught his gaze and for a few moments their eyes met. She half expected Ichigo to turn away, at least that was what she wanted to happen, then her response would be easy; she would insinuate that was having lewd thoughts which Ichigo, of course, would deny ardently and complain that she never trusts him and thus the tension would be broken. Ichigo, however, did not look away. As she looked at him she could see that his expression was kind and full of concern. When had Ichigo became this sensitive to her emotions? She had no answer to her own question and that pained her, she thought she knew Ichigo too well to be surprised by something like that; just how much did he know about what was troubling her and if he did indeed know, where was he getting his information from; the only people who knew were Urahara and Tessai, who had overheard their conversation. She wished for something, anything to come along and break this awkward tension, she was not ready to talk to him about it, not yet anyway, she had to wait until she was sure herself.

Suddenly, an order arrived; four hollows in the vicinity of the park at two, plus/minus fifteen minutes. She heaved a sigh of relief then stood up. "Ichigo, let's go." She said calmly. Ichigo stood up and stretched.

"Aww, just when I was getting comfortable." He said sarcastically as they set off for the park. "How many is it this time Rukia?" he asked as he came level with her. She told him that there were four low class hollows awaiting them. "I doubt I'll even get the rust off my blade fighting them." Huffed Ichigo, feigning disappointment when in reality he was relieved that they ran no risk of injury in this battle, he had seen enough of his friends' blood to last him a lifetime, ten lifetimes in fact.

"You sounded just like Zeraki Taichou there Ichigo" smiled Rukia as they arrived at the gates of the park; "Maybe you two really are alike…" Ichigo gave her a dirty look, one that shouted his disgust at being compared with one who did not even know his zanpakuto's name, one that was little more than a raging beast living for the fight. Rukia smiled, her jab had had the desired effect; now he would surely have put that awkward moment on the roof out of his mind. She however could not; her heart would not allow her. Sitting on a nearby bench, she consulted the order once more, the clock at the top of the display now flashed 13:50; they would arrive any time now. Ichigo had strolled into the centre of the park and climbed atop the swing set and sat on the crossbar, two children were swinging happily below him. Just then, Rukia felt the presence of one hollow, then another closely followed by a third; where was the fourth? "Ah well," she thought as she drew Sode No Shirayuki; "they must have made a mistake. Just then the space above Ichigo's head began to distort and an insect like hollow began to emerge behind him.

Before she could even raise her hand to warn him, she looked on with unbelieving eyes as he, without even looking behind him, swung Zangetsu behind him, slicing the hollow's mask clean in two, causing it to dissolve before it had completely emerged. Had he somehow known that it would appear there when he leapt up there ten minutes ago? If so, how could he? Even she, a seasoned shinigami whose strength and abilities were close to that of a captain, could not sense a hollow before it emerged and even then could only pinpoint its location once it was completely in the real world.

As she looked on, Ichigo dispatched the other two, one pig like hollow by the roundabout and another burrowing hollow under the slide. As she watched him swing Zangetsu nonchalantly over one shoulder, she began to wonder why she was even there; Ichigo was clearly more than strong enough to protect this area, all she ever did was inform him where the hollows would appear. It had been three weeks since she had slain a hollow. Suddenly she felt a burning pain in her upper arm.

"Ssss what's thissss?" hissed the snakelike hollow that had now latched onto her arm, its voice sent chills up her spine; "A sssshinigami caught off her guard? It mussst be my lucky day."

"Dead wrong, today is most unlucky for you, snake." It was Ichigo who spoke. As she looked over her shoulder, she saw the shimmering black blade of Tensa Zangetsu plunged through the hollow's head. It gasped and howled in pain, writhing on the ground as it began to dissolve. She then looked at her arm, she could see clearly where the fangs had penetrated and looked at her wounds in disbelief as her blood gushed out. She then looked over to Ichigo; he had truly used his bankai shihakushou fluttered in the afternoon breeze as he stood over her. Looking up at his face, she saw no anger only concern, concern for her and was that a tear she saw running down his cheek? Her vision was fading fast. She felt Ichigo's arms under her shoulders as he caught her.

He slipped Tensa Zangetsu into his belt and then grasped Sode No Shirayuki from Rukia's trembling hand. Surprisingly, she offered no resistance and Ichigo slipped it too into his belt. Then in a single motion, he picked Rukia's trembling frame up and cradled her in his arms. "Please be home." He thought pleadingly as he shunpoed his way to Orihime's house after three minutes and sixty one successive shunpos he had arrived at Orihime's front door. He knocked but there was no answer. Moments seemed to crawl by, each second felt like an hour; he knew that Rukia was fading fast; he knew that the hollow must have poisoned her and he knew that only Orihime was the only one who could heal her. Why was it taking her so goddamn long to answer her door? As he looked into Rukia's eyes, he could see that darkness was beginning to take them. There was no time. Kicking the door, he sent it flying off its hinges. Laying Rukia down on the sofa, he looked about the room; "Orihime!" he shouted as he began to search the rooms, opening one door after another. As he opened the third door, he found her.

"Kya!" shouted Orihime, her face crimson; "Ku-Ku-Ku-Kurosaki-kun? What are you doing here?" she was standing before him completely nude, having just stepped out of the shower upon hearing his voice. Her hand was fumbling for a towel on the rack behind her, her eyes unable to break themselves free from Ichigo's gaze just as Ichigo's eyes were unable to brake free of her figure.

Ichigo's face was reddening fast, but he knew that this was no time for embarrassment; Rukia's life was in his hands yet he was unable to speak. Embarrassment may have sealed his lips, but he still had control over his limbs. He grabbed Orihime's hand which she had been using to shield her breasts from view. He felt her soft damp skin against the back of his hand, he ignored it. He dragged her into her living room and pointed to Rukia lying motionless on the sofa.

Orihime immediately knelt by Rukia's side and, placing her hands on her hairclips said; "Soten Kishun! I Reject!" Immediately, two beams of light leapt from her hairclips and landed at either end of Rukia's motionless body and soon that familiar orange shield was in place. As she turned to Ichigo, Orihime noticed that he had disappeared. "He must have left so I can concentrate," she thought; "either that, or because he was too embarrassed to stay." She turned back to Rukia. Moments later, she felt something soft being draped over her shoulders. Turning, she noticed Ichigo standing behind her with his back to her, his arm outstretched holding another towel. "Alright," she said; "You can turn around now." She had wrapped one towel about her and wrapped her hair in the other.

"I'm… I'm sorry." Began Ichigo solemnly; "I didn't mean to storm in on you like that, but I had to, Rukia was fading fast." Orihime only smiled and nodded, then turned back to Rukia. Ichigo sat down on the arm of the sofa by Rukia's feet, looking on impatiently. Had he made it in time? He shook his head, driving such thoughts of despair away for there was nothing that Orihime could not heal. He then looked at Orihime, her brow was furrowed and her eyes focused, she was concentrating hard. Inevitably, his gaze began to wander. How innocent she looked, sitting there in nothing but a towel, how easy it would be to take advantage of the situation. Part of him was urging him to do just that, he knew that strong though she was, she could not match his strength; yes, it would be easy. He stood up and rubbed his eyes then went to sit a chair at the other end of the room in an attempt to distance himself from such thoughts and temptations.

After about half an hour, Orihime straightened up and walked toward her bedroom. Although the shield was still in place, Ichigo felt somewhat relieved and moved back to the sofa, this time kneeling beside Rukia's head. The colour was returning to her complexion. Soon, he had been joined by Orihime, now dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, her hair still wrapped in the towel Ichigo had handed her. "How is she?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

"She will wake up soon, you brought her to me just in time; the poison had already taken a strong hold on her." Comforted Orihime, smiling back at Ichigo.

"Orihime," Ichigo began, his face reddening once more, "can you keep what happened earlier a secret from Rukia, I just know she'll blow it out of proportion." Orihime nodded, saying that it would be best if nobody found out about it or rumours would start to spread about both of them.

Rukia groaned as she regained consciousness. "Wh-where am I?" she stammered, her eyes struggling to focus. Ichigo told her that they were in Orihime's house, taking hold of her hand as she reached out for him. "Ichigo I… I'm sorry." She said in little more than a whisper. Ichigo did not reply, he had no idea what to say; should he criticize her for being caught off guard or should he comfort her, telling her that everyone makes mistakes from time to time? Both responses sounded bad to him, he knew that she needed to hear neither.

Eventually, he found his reply; "It's Orihime you should be apologizing to." He said gruffly; "After all, she's been working tirelessly to heal you for over an hour now." He could not bring himself to look Rukia in the eye, rather looking at her arm which had recently been covered in blood.

"Ichigo's right," said Rukia as she turned to Orihime; "I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble."

Orihime jumped to her feet and began waving her hands apologetically before her; "No, it's no trouble at all." she replied. She was a terrible liar; Rukia could see the tiredness in her eyes. She had obviously given it her all to heal her. Rukia sat up slowly rubbing her head, she felt dazed and confused. Evidently, their patrol was over for today, she knew Ichigo would not continue with her in her current state.

"Ichigo," she said softly; "I think we should call it a day." He nodded and offered his arm. Taking hold of it, Rukia struggled to her feet and they made for the door, well, where the door used to be anyway; it now lay against the far wall split in two. Ichigo waved his free hand as they passed through the doorway; "Thanks Orihime, I'll pay for the door." He called as they turned down the steps. "Here." Said Ichigo, he was holding Sode No Shirayuki; "I held onto her when you passed out, I knew you would not want me to leave her behind." He was looking away as he spoke, but she could hear the kindness in his voice.

"Thanks, I hadn't realized that she was gone." She replied quietly.

"Ha," Ichigo laughed; "now who's like Zeraki?"

"That's high talk indeed from someone who did not realize that his zanpakuto was anything more than a katana three years ago." Jibed Rukia haughtily. Ichigo did not respond; he was too happy to that Rukia was back to her usual self to start bickering now.

The sky was beginning to darken as they walked home, Rukia was still clinging to his arm for support and Ichigo liked it, she felt warm against his arm. He liked the feeling of her relying on him, yet his mind was still troubled by how she had appeared on the roof earlier that day; just what was troubling her anyway? They entered the clinic about ten; Isshin as usual paying them no heed as they headed past him and made for the stairs. Soon, Ichigo was back in his body and Rukia in her gigai. They were both tired from the day's events and decided to head straight to bed.

"Ichigo?" Rukia called from within the closet.

"Yeah?" Ichigo replied lazily.

"Th-thanks for saving me today, I don't know what came over me. For some reason, I couldn't sense the hollow's riatsu until it had already struck." Said Rukia quietly, the admission sticking in her throat.

"No problem, you would have done the same thing for me." Ichigo began; "I know that something is troubling you, but if you don't want to or can't talk about it, I won't press the matter any further"

"Thanks Ichigo," said Rukia warmly; "I will tell you eventually but for now, please be patient with me."

"Sure. Goodnight Rukia." Replied Ichigo tiredly.

"Goodnight Ichigo." Returned Rukia sleepily.

The next day, they were once again on patrol. Rather than following their usual habit of heading for the centre of Karukara and finding a nice rooftop to while away the hours whilst awaiting orders from Soul Society, Rukia was now leading the way as they relentlessly flitted here and there looking out for souls in distress. It was plain to Ichigo that she was trying to keep her mind off whatever had been troubling her. On the plus side, they were able to get over eighty konsos done and dispatch a number of tsuki and jibaku spirits along the way.

They now sat atop a bus as it made its rounds, Rukia still looked preoccupied, but Ichigo tried not to take notice of it, for he knew doing so would only upset her. Suddenly, a third shinigami joined them on the roof; it was Renji. What are you doing here Renji?" asked Ichigo gruffly.

"So that's how you greet me after all this time is it?" retorted Renji; "You might want to show the new captain of the Third Division a little more respect; I now have the Captain-Commander's ear you know." Rukia's eyes widened in surprise whereas Ichigo's narrowed in contempt.

"Tch," he snorted; "So you came all this way to wave your title in our faces or do you have any real business here Renji _Taichou_?"

Thwack! Renji hit Ichigo square on the forehead with Zabimaru's hilt. "As a matter of fact I do." As he spoke, he withdrew a letter from within his shihakushou. Clearing his throat, he began to read aloud; "Due to your unique nature, we have been keeping a close eye on you." Ichigo looked dejected as he realized that after all he had done for them, the Soul Society still did not completely trust him. Renji continued; "Thankfully, your actions have been acceptable thus far and we have no reason to take any further action. Due to this, I have determined that it will be prudent to reassign those currently observing you. Rest assured, we shall still check up on you from time to time." Renji refolded the letter and handed it to Ichigo. As he looked at it, Ichigo recognized the seal of the Second Division. So the Secret Mobile Corps were observing him? Didn't they have anything better to do and why only now, after three years, had they decided to terminate their observation?

Looking over at Rukia, Renji spoke up once more; "They know about the battle yesterday and your injury at the hands of a low level hollow. There are some who wish to recall you for a full psych analysis. Your brother is among them."

"Everyone slips up from time to time, cut her some slack!" interjected Ichigo, unable to check his emotions.

Renji eyed Ichigo curiously; he had not expected such an outburst from him, nor had he any inkling as to its origin, Renji was, after all, quite dense when it came to such matters. "I agree." He said eventually; "That's why I brought her this warning. Watch yourselves and don't give them any more reason to be suspicious." With that said he leapt from the bus as it ground to a halt and stabbed Zabimaru into the space before him. Turning it smoothly, he opened a senkaimon and stepped inside. The doors disappeared as they slid closed behind him.

Ichigo and Rukia looked at one another in bewilderment; neither knew how to respond to such news. Ichigo felt a growing determination within him, determination to do what, he did not know, but he knew it must be important. He could see that Rukia was now even more troubled, as if whatever she had been worrying about had been given a sudden sense of urgency. Didn't Rukia already have enough to worry about without Renji adding more fuel to the fire? Now worrying seemed to be all that Rukia ever did. He cursed Renji under his breath for adding to her worries. He wished he could do something to help her, but he could only sit in agonizing ignorance until Rukia felt ready to talk to him. What they really needed was a break.

As they headed for home in the twilight, silence reigned; each was preoccupied by their own thoughts, as they entered, Isshin could see that something was troubling them but he could not go to them, Yuzu and Karin were sitting beside him; he would have to wait for the most opportune moment to confront them.

Upstairs, Rukia and Ichigo, now no longer in shinigami form, were sitting in the room still locked in awkward silence. "Rukia," Ichigo began, his words weighing heavily in his throat; "If you still don't want to talk about it I understand, but I want you to know that you can trust me; if you need someone to talk to, I will always be here for you, you don't have to bear it all yourself."

Rukia returned a puzzled look; she had rarely known Ichigo to openly show his emotions like this. Was her worrying really concerning him that much? Just what did he think of her? Just what did she think of him? There were just too many unknowns to tell him now; she would have to bear it alone at least a little longer. "Thanks, the same goes for you too." She said at last.

By her response, Ichigo knew in his heart that she was not ready, but he could not stand seeing her, who he had risked and sacrificed so much for, in such pain and not being able to do anything about it. He hated the feeling of helplessness that it gave him. He rolled over, knowing tat he had nothing more to say and assuming that she too had nothing more to add.

Moments later, they heard heavy footsteps on the stairs followed seconds later by a knock on his bedroom door. Ichigo did not answer, yet his ears were soon filled with the sound of creaking hinges as his bedroom door was opened wide. Isshin stood in the doorway, his expression solemn.

"What's eating you?" he said sternly; "I thought I told you that you were far too young to be carrying around such burdens as sadness and despair."

Ichigo looked into his father's eyes and saw nothing but unyielding resolve; his father's was serious, for once, and that meant he truly meant every word he said; but what did he mean? Had he overheard their conversations or did he know why Rukia was always worrying; just what was going on in his head?

"You seem not to have been getting as long as well as you used to. I do not pretend to know the cause or causes, but I do know this; you must overcome this if you are to move forward. You must believe in yourselves and each other. Trust in your heart, listen to it, it will tell you what you must do. Yes, I'm talking to you too, Rukia." The closet door slowly slid open and she popped her head out, her eyes were filled with uncertainty. Isshin smiled at her and continued; "Your main problem is that you are not honest with yourselves. Until you can be honest to your own heart and emotions, you have no chance of being able to be completely honest and open with one another. I've said all I wanted to; take it or leave it as the ramblings of an old man. Come down if you want; Yuzu is getting worried about you Ichigo. It's unsurprising really, she hardly ever sees you of late." With that, he turned on his heel and descended the stairs leaving his son speechless.

"So, shall we go downstairs?" Ichigo asked after a long period of silence. Rukia nodded and they headed downstairs together. It was a welcome break; they sat and talked, watched TV and listened to Isshin's insane ramblings. The hours wore on and soon they were both back in Ichigo's room, Ichigo was sitting on the edge of the bed, Ichigo leaning against her closet facing him.

"He can be quite the amateur shrink." Said Ichigo; "I'm sorry if he upset or offend you."

"No," replied Rukia thoughtfully; "your father did not offend me, although he did make some good points."

"Does that mean that you're ready to talk to me about what has been bothering you?" asked Ichigo hopefully.

"I'm sorry," she replied, her eyes welling up with tears; "I still can't tell you yet, but it's not because I don't want to. It's just that I have to be certain that it is best within my own heart before I can tell you. You will have to wait a bit longer I'm afraid."

"That's fine," replied Ichigo warmly, although he was a little disappointed; "I'll wait just as long as it takes; I trust your judgement Rukia.

She turned toward the closet and stepped in; she did not want to show Ichigo her tears. How could she have put this off for so long, was she really so nervous? One of them would have to make the first move, she knew this but she still wanted him to make his move first.

AN: Thanks to all of you who reviewed my first chapter, most notably Aizawa Ayumu Oz Vessalius and Debido. Your reviews have really encouraged and inspired me. On a side note to Aizawa and all of you who were wondering along the same lines as he was about what is troubling Rukia; it'll all be revealed about chapter five, so I'll be keeping you all in the dark a little longer. As an expression of my gratitude to you all, I have determined to burn the midnight oil and finish chapter two tonight, although I must say that I won't be able to release daily but I hope to release at least one a week. Now on to chapter two: Shopping Trip. Mou Ikkai, mina Arigatou!


	2. Shopping Trip

**Much More than Black and White**

**Chapter Two: Shopping Trip**

It had been a week since Rukia had been poisoned by the hollow and, thanks to Orihime; she had made a full recovery. Today, however, they were not on duty and seeing it was a Saturday, they had nothing much else to do that day. Ichigo awoke slowly, the sun glaring into his half-closed eyes. Evidently, he had slept in. "Ah well," he thought; "a lie in once in a while won't do any harm, heck it might do me a little good."

Sitting up slowly, he turned toward the window. His eyes met a breathtaking sight; Rukia was sitting on the windowsill staring off into the middle distance, her eyes lost in thought but that was not what struck Ichigo speechless. She was sitting there not in her usual pyjamas, but one of his school shirts. Why was she in his shirt anyway? As he followed the loosely fitting shirt down her back, bare beneath his shirt. As his eyes moved further down her back, he saw that, besides her pants, she wore nothing else.

The sun shone through her, no, his shirt and her hair illuminating her slender frame in a halo of golden light. Her hands were folded neatly before her and one leg was resting on the sill whilst the other barely touched the floor so that only her toes made contact with the carpet. His face grew more crimson with every beat of his racing heart. Though they had shared the same room for more than three years now, he had never seen her this way; he had always seen her as a friend and mentor but now he saw her as something more, much more.

For the first time, Ichigo realized that she was a woman. Obviously, he had always known that she was female, but only now had he come to see her beauty. His mind was in a whirl and his heart was racing away, he didn't know what to think any more. He wanted to go to her. But what would he do then? Would he embrace her, would he drape his arms over her slender shoulders and hold her close to his chest or would he just stand behind her, becoming lost in the moment? Where were all these thoughts coming from anyway, did he truly see Rukia in that way? Just what did he truly feel about her, what did he feel for her and how did she feel toward him?

He could stand it no longer; he had to get out of here. Lying down once more as silently as he could, he came up with a plan; he sat up again, stretched and yawned noisily. "Rukia?" he called, looking sleepily around the room; "Rukia, are you awake yet?" he added to make his charade seem more convincing. Rukia turned and looked into his eyes, he could tell that she had been crying not too long ago, but now all he could see within those shining blue eyes was calmness, she smiled at him and he smiled back.

"Drop the act," she said; "I've been up for a few hours and I know that you have not just woken up yourself." She hopped down from the sill and straightened out the shirt, flicking its tails nonchalantly so that it now hung just above her knees; the sleeve were obviously far too big for her as they now extended a good six inches beyond her fingertips. "Just what were you thinking whilst you stared at me Ichigo?" she added with a smirk.

Ichigo's face reddened once more and he turned away. "Just go and get dressed." He said through gritted teeth.

"Why? Is there something wrong with the way I am dressed now?" she replied in her innocent saccharine tone which she often used at school. She liked Ichigo's reaction and had decided to play with him a little.

"Just hurry up and get changed already" Ichigo insisted, his eyes closed and his brow furrowed in anger, though he was more angry at himself than her.

"Ah, I see Ichigo is a man after all." Said Rukia, still using the same tone. "I guess the sight of a slender young woman in nothing but a shirt must be too much for him. What ever should I do if he tries something on me?" she raised her hands to her mouth as she spoke, giving the impression of a fearful young maiden.

Ichigo felt that he had endured quite enough of this and stood up. Grabbing a few items of clothing from his bedside cabinet, he made for the door in silence. If only Rukia knew how close to the truth she was.

As the door closed behind him, Rukia wondered if she had gone too far. "No, that can't be it!" she thought, shaking her head violently as her cheeks reddened. Trailing a finger along the foot of Ichigo's bed, she made for the closet. Sliding the door open, she quickly selected an outfit for herself and returned to his bed. Casting her clothes down, she began to change. It was a lot easier doing so out her than in the cramped closet, yet she could not help but feel a little nervous as she did. What if Ichigo came in whilst she was halfway through changing, would he be able to resist her and would she be able to resist him?

"Would _she_ be able to resist _him_?" Where had that come from? She knew that she had feelings for him, but only as a friend, as a close friend, or that is what she thought, or what she hoped. Anyway, a relationship between them would be doomed to failure from the very beginning; sooner or later, she would inevitably be recalled and he would be left behind and they would both be left brokenhearted.

She tidied away her old clothes into Ichigo's wash basket and began to brush her hair. Soon, there was a knock at the door. She was like a rabbit caught in a headlight's beam. It couldn't be Ichigo could it? No, why would he knock on his own door? Last time, Isshin had knocked and then entered last time, so he was ruled out. That left only Yuzu and Karin. There was another knock at the door. If it was Karin, she would think nothing of her being there but if it were Yuzu, she could not predict how she would act; regardless of how she acted, it would almost certainly cause problems for Ichigo. A third knock came rapping against the door; she had to do something. "I'm in the middle of something, come back later." She said in her best Ichigo impersonation. She smiled to herself, now whoever it was would either leave or say something, either way, she would then know her next move.

"Rukia, are you still changing or what?" said the voice on the other side of the door, Rukia recognized it immediately as Ichigo's. She opened the door for him. As he entered, he looked straight into her eyes, rooting her to the spot. Without a word, he placed his large hand over her forehead. She remained motionless. Just what was he trying to do so suddenly? Was she ready for it? He closed his eyes; his expression was one of concentration. She closed her eyes too, her cheeks reddening with his proximity; she could feel his breath on her face. Her heart rate was skyrocketing and her breath quickening, was this it? Was Ichigo going to make his move? How should she react if he did? How would she react?

Suddenly, he pulled away. Rukia's eyes snapped open; her face bore a perfect expression of utter confusion. "Hmm, you don't seem to have a fever." Said Ichigo thoughtfully; "All the same, maybe I'd better ask O'san to have a look at you to be safe."

So that's what it was. He was checking if I had a fever. She exhaled long and slow. Why did he suddenly think I was ill? "Wh-what brought that on?" she asked shakily, still trying to recompose herself.

"Well, your voice sounded so bad just then, so I thought you might have been coming down with something." He said casually rubbing the back of his neck.

"Fool, I was impersonating you!" Retorted Rukia angrily; "Think it through! If Yuzu or Karin had found me alone in your room, what do you think would have happened? I did it to save you from an awkward situation."

"Th-Thanks, I guess I owe you one." Mumbled Ichigo; "You don't think I really sound like that do you?" he added with a smile.

"It's not as if I'd practiced it." She returned pouting slightly. She looked so cute that Ichigo could not help but laugh.

Crack! Rukia delivered a powerful kick square between his legs. He doubled over in pain. "Watch it Rukia; they'll never work properly at the rate you're going; seriously, you're really going to break them one of these days!" he whined, though in a much higher pitch than usual.

The combination of the high voice and comical expression on his face was too much for Rukia, she doubled over with laughter. Soon their eyes were filling with contradictory tears. Eventually, Ichigo straightened up and wiped the tears away from his eyes. "Let's go out." He said flatly.

"What?" cried Rukia, surprised by his sudden remark which sent her heart racing once more, she knew he could be unpredictable, but this was too much, even for Ichigo.

It seemed that only after her response had he realised the full meaning of his words. "No, I didn't mean it like that. I wasn't trying to ask you on a date or anything." He stammered apologetically; "I meant that we've done nothing but sit around these last few days so I thought it might be good to get some fresh air, there a few things I need to get in town anyway. So, do you want to tag along?"

"Ah," she replied, smiling at him; "that sounds like a good plan, count me in." Of course he would not ask her out so suddenly; he could never be so bold. She felt relieved, yet a little disappointed by it all. Descended the steps together, they turned for the entryway but found the path blocked by Yuzu; she was holding a ladle and had a teatowel over one shoulder.

"Where are you off to Oniichan?" she asked with a smile.

"Nowhere in particular." He said dismissively as he slipped into his shoes.

Yuzu shot Rukia a dark look then turned to Ichigo. "Just make sure you're back for dinner." She said firmly.

Soon they were both strolling towards the shopping district, having said goodbye to Yuzu. What was that about?" Asked Rukia, looking up at Ichigo.

"I guess," said Ichigo thoughtfully; "she doesn't want you stealing away her Oniichan. She's still a brat, despite how she acts, she just wants things to remain as they are and she sees you as a threat to that desire. Don't worry, she doesn't hate you, she'd probably act the same way toward any girl that she sees me with. She has yet to learn that change is inevitable."

"Ah." She said thoughtfully. As she looked at Ichigo, she could not help but feel that he had grown more understanding, more sensitive to the emotions of those around him. She felt a strange feeling rush through her; a sudden warmth that filled her entire being. She felt content as they strolled toward their destination.

Ichigo stopped before a music store, but Rukia did not notice, her eyes were drawn to another store at the far end of the street, or rather its sign which took the form of a rabbit's head, on ear upright and the other folded over whilst one eye winked at the passersby. "Ichigo…" she said quietly; "can we go there?"

Ichigo followed her pointing finger to the sign in the distance. "Sure." He said flatly; "but wait until we're finished up here first." Rukia nodded dejectedly as they headed into the music store.

Even in her three years stationed in Karukara, there were many places Rukia had yet to see more than fleetingly and there were many things that she did not yet understand about the world she now called home. "What is this place? She asked with genuine curiosity.

"It's a music store," replied Ichigo; "it sells many different types of instruments and all the tools and materials you will need to maintain them. They also sell music books and learning guides." Rukia nodded, she did not fully understand his explanation, but she decided that they would reach the shop with the rabbit sign faster if she didn't press the matter any further. Whilst Rukia looked around, Ichigo made straight for one of the stands near the cashier's desk and selected a few packets from it. After making his purchase, he found Rukia, who was staring intently at an accordion, wondering how on earth one would operate it. Upon seeing Ichigo, she quickly straightened up and followed him out of the store.

They had not gone ten paces from the exit before a man in a bright orange suit handed Ichigo a ticket then strode off. Upon closer examination, the ticket was for one free spin of a tombola game that had been set up further down the street.

Next, Ichigo headed for a crafts shop. This really seemed like an odd place for him to go she thought, but she knew that he had a reason that would make itself clear soon enough so she kept quiet, still eager to see the contents of the store with the rabbit sign. Ichigo did indeed look out of place in such a female orientated shop, and he felt it, but he had good reason for coming here, so he swallowed his pride and made for the aisle which contained the doll kits. "I don't think she has this one yet." He said to himself, picking up a box which contained the materials necessary to make a white tiger doll. Next, he picked up another box containing a rabbit kit.

He was about to head for the checkout when he heard a familiar voice behind him. Turning around, he saw that it was Ishida. Great, now everyone would hear of his visit to the store, he needed to do damage control. He called over to Ishida.

"Kurosaki?" he said, peering over his glasses, what brings you here?" Ichigo quickly explained that he was buying a present for his sister, showing him the doll kits. "I see," replied Ishida, sounding a little disappointed; "Wish her happy birthday for me then." Ichigo only nodded, he did not feel like telling Ishida the true reason for the present, besides, he wanted to keep his time in the store down to a minimum. Soon, he had made his purchase and they continued down the street.

They were now about halfway down the street, but Ichigo wanted to make this last. He knew it wasn't a date, but he was still enjoying spending time with Rukia outside of school and their shinigami duties. He looked down at her; her raven hair was fluttering in the breeze and she wore an enthusiastic smile, her sapphire blue eyes peering out from below her summer hat. From her slender shoulders hung a simple dress now swaying lazily in the breeze. She looked like she was enjoying herself, she looked happy. Yes, she looked quite happy, happy and beautiful. He wished that he could always see her this way.

What was he thinking? He did not feel for her in that way. He could not. She was a shinigami and he was human, well half human anyway. Such a relationship could not work. He shook his head, trying to shake of his delusions. Suddenly, something caught his eye; it was a photo booth. "What the heck," he thought; "Rukia will get a kick out of it.

"What is this place?" asked Rukia as Ichigo snapped the curtain shut behind them.

"It's a…" He tailed off a devious thought entered his mind, no doubt spurred into existence by that morning's events. "It's a kissing booth." He said firmly. "This is too perfect," he thought; "there's only one entrance and I'm nearest; Rukia has nowhere to go. Now she'll feel the awkwardness she put me through this morning." He continued, drawing a little closer to her; "It's where couples come to find out if they're right for one another. This machine watches as they kiss and takes many different measurements. From that data, it can tell if they're a perfect couple or not."

Rukia's eyes widened in surprise; Ichigo had done it, he had really made his move. What would she do? What could she do? He had chosen his location well; there was no way for her to escape from the confined booth save past him, and she knew he would easily be able to prevent her from leaving. Her heart was beating so fast that she thought it was going to explode and her breath was coming short and fast. This was too sudden, she was not ready and yet she had no way to escape. She would have to go along with whatever he had planned. Something inside her told her to make sure. "Is… Is that how you truly feel about me?" she asked in barely more than a whisper, her sapphire blue eyes looking waveringly into his own.

Ichigo could contain himself no longer, he burst out laughing; "I was only joking." He said through torrents of laughter; "There's no such thing as a kissing booth; this is a photo booth, it takes a picture of you for passports and other pieces of photo identification."

Rukia scowled. She had been tricked and she did not like it, yet she felt no malice in him, so she decided eventually to let it slide. After all, she still wanted to see what lay within that store with the rabbit sign. "That wasn't funny Ichigo." She said in a reprimanding tone.

"Sorry, I just couldn't help myself." Said Ichigo apologetically. He was happy; his revenge plan had gone smoothly. "Now let's take a photo together." Rukia was reluctant at first, but she soon became enthralled by the process, especially the part which allowed the creation of a custom frame. Soon, the machine was ready to take their picture, Rukia's custom frame, consisting of many rabbits of different shapes and sizes overlaid on the live feed from the camera.

"Move over Ichigo, you're too close." she said as she felt his shoulder brush against hers.

"It's not exactly spacious in here." Ichigo retorted defensively.

"Whatever, let's just get this over with." She said, their close proximity making her uneasy. They smiled and Ichigo pressed the button. There was a flash and it was all over. They were out in an instant, thankful to be able to put some distance between themselves. Ichigo snatched up the strip of pictures the machine dispensed, glanced at them and then handed them to Rukia.

"Okay let's go then." Said Ichigo, pointing to the store with the rabbit sign. Rukia nodded excitedly. As they made for the store, Rukia was aware of a strange scent emanating from the building. The interior was mostly obscured by shelving that ran a few steps within the doorway. No sooner had Rukia passed over the threshold than her eyes lit up with excitement; she had spotted them.

Six rabbits lay in an open topped cage just behind the doorway. Immediately, she knelt by the cage and reached inside. She let out a squeal of excitement as one of the curious rabbits began licking her outstretched hand. "Ichigo, look, they're so cute!" she exclaimed, but Ichigo was not there, his attention had been drawn to the rear of the shop and he now stood before a small cage on a slender stand. Within, there was a parakeet just like the one Chad had found so long ago. Could this bird be it? No, there was no way; he was not the type to abandon a pet. Nevertheless, he could not be sure, but should he confront the owner about it. No, doing so would only result in his being pressured to buy the bird. Still, he stood there for a little over an hour lost in nostalgia. Nostalgia, that was a new feeling for him; his life had been one battle after another with barely time to catch his breath, let alone reminisce between them.

"I guess that's long enough." He said, checking his watch. "Even Rukia must have gotten bored of staring at those rabbits by now." How wrong he was. "Okay Rukia, shall we get going?" he called cheerfully as he approached her. She turned to him and stood up; she was cradling one of the rabbits in her arms. This was going to be difficult, how could he make her understand?

"I want this one!" she said firmly, grinning from ear to ear, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Ichigo facepalmed, he was regretting ever bringing her in her; how could he not have foreseen this? "I'm sorry Rukia, we can't get a rabbit."

"Why?" she retorted, pouting and hugging the poor rabbit even more tightly.

"Think of where we live Rukia." He said softly; "As a medical facility, there has always been a no pets allowed policy at our house. O'san and I have already had this conversation with Yuzu and Karin countless times when they were younger." Ichigo moved in closer and placed his hand on her shoulder; "I'm Sorry, there's nothing that I can do. We just can't have any pets, it's just common sense."

Slowly, Rukia lowered the rabbit back into its pen. "Yeah, you're right Ichigo. I'm sorry for being so selfish." A tear trickled down her cheek as she spoke.

"It's alright, you didn't know." Reassured Ichigo as they made for the door. Looking further down the street, Ichigo noticed the tombola stand. They both joined the queue; Rukia was watching the action intently whilst clutching the ticket in her hands.

"What do the balls do?" she asked, not taking her eyes off the machine. Her question caused a few murmurs and glances from the rest of the crowd.

"The colour of the ball that comes out when you turn the handle determines which prise you win. Don't get your hopes up, there aren't many good prizes at these things and most people end up winning boxes of tissues."

Rukia was not disheartened as she waited for her turn. She didn't really care about the prizes, it was the new experience that she was excited about; in her time on earth, she had learned to treasure every new experience, no matter how small, and make the most of it. The line progressed slowly, but eventually, it was Rukia's turn. Grabbing the handle, she spun it vigorously, so much so that Ichigo feared that she would tear it straight off. Eventually, she stopped and a sparkling golden ball fell from the hole. The attendant rang her handbell and began proclaiming that Rukia had won the grand prize.

"So, what did I win?" she asked enthusiastically.

"You've won an all expenses paid trip for two to Newcastle, Australia for a fortnight. You will fly out a week from now and have access to a personal driver for the duration of your stay. You will also be given three thousand Australian dollars spending money." The attendant then handed Rukia an envelope tied closed with a golden ribbon.

Ichigo could hardly believe his ears. He could hardly believe her luck. As they set off back up the street, Ichigo ducked into an electrical store. He went straight for the digital camera display; there were a lot to choose from. He would need something simple, simple enough for Rukia to figure out yet still equipped with a good lens and long zoom. It should also be tough and, if possible, waterproof. Scanning the selection, he soon found a suitable model, it was ruggedly built and waterproof down to twenty metres, it had a simple interface and good lens with twelve times optical zoom. Taking one of the boxes, he continued to browse the store, eventually selecting a few packs of rechargeable batteries, a charger and half a dozen memory cards for the camera.

Once he had made his purchases, hey both headed out of the store and made for home. "Rukia, don't tell any of them about the prize when we get in, at least not right away, otherwise they will all begging you to take them along." Said Ichigo solemnly; "I advise that you not tell them until you have decided who you are taking with you." He then handed her the bag containing the doll kits. "The tiger kit is for Yuzu, the rabbit kit is for you. After what happened this morning, I began thinking of a way for you to get into her good books as it were. This is what I came up with, you give her the tiger kit and once she goes to work on it, ask her if she would mind giving you a hand with your own kit. I'm sure she will and by the time you're both done, you shouldn't have any more trouble with her."

"Thanks," said Rukia, "you didn't have to go to so much trouble for me."

"It's not just for you; it's also for Yuzu's sake." Replied Ichigo softly. Rukia nodded. She was surprised that he had come up with a plan so quickly that hardly an hour had passed between their departure and his entering the crafts shop. He had even taken her tastes into account. Why had he done so? Why did he want her to get along with Yuzu so badly? Was it just out of a desire for a peaceful home and out of love for his sister, or was there something more? She mulled over these questions as they walked home.

Ichigo's plan was a success, after dinner, Yuzu had escorted Rukia up to her room to begin work on their kits. Ichigo sat in his room going over the camera's manual, all the while, he could hear sounds of laughter drifting over from Yuzu's room. He smiled to himself knowingly; things were going to be alright between them from now on.

A few hours later, Rukia walked into his room, she was grinning from ear to ear. "So, how did it go?" Ichigo asked looking up from the manga he was reading. He noticed two pink ears sticking out above her left shoulder. She paced across the room and proudly held the stuffed rabbit up before him. The body was pink apart from the paws, the nose and the chest which were all white. Taking the rabbit from her, Ichigo ran his finger along the stitching; it looked as if it had been done by machine. "Were you in Fourth Division at one point or have you been taking lessons from Ishida? " Asked Ichigo, passing the doll back to Rukia, who had now sat down next to him on the bed.

She shook her head but her eyes were fixed on her rabbit, she was now clapping its paws together. "No," she said quietly; "your sister has a flair for needlework and she is a very good teacher." Ichigo nodded and smiled; everything had gone just as he had planned; now maybe things would be a little more peaceful around here. No, even the concept peace was ridiculous when living with Isshin. He chuckled to himself as he thought of their countless fights over the years.

Looking up, he noticed that Rukia had placed the rabbit in her closet and had now crawled onto the bed and began rummaging through his purchases. She pulled out the packets that he had acquired from the music shop and began examining them with great curiosity. "Ichigo, what are these wires for?" She asked eventually looking over to him, her eyes wide. Ichigo slowly rose and walked over to the far corner of the room. Soon, he had laid his Stratocaster imitation down on the bed. "So these are replacements then?" she observed; "But why do they need replacing?"

"The old ones have gotten rusty." Ichigo stated; "Rusty strings mess with the sound." He then began the process of changing the strings, all the while Rukia was watching intently over his shoulder. After about ten minutes, the old strings were lying in a heap at the foot of his bed and he was completing the retuning; he did not use a tuner, he did not need one.

"So, what is it?" Rukia quipped, reaching out to pluck one of the strings, recoiling catlike in surprise as it resonated to her touch.

"I guess it can't be helped then." Sighed Ichigo, getting up once more, this time to fetch an amp from the same corner. "It's a guitar, a musical instrument, just sit there and listen; I'll show you how it works." Ichigo began to play a few exercises to limber up his fingers then dove into a classic song which would have been instantly recognizable by almost anyone other than his current audience as Stairway to Heaven. Rukia sat transfixed at the end of the bed as the melodic tones of the iconic intro washed over her.

Ichigo smiled as he looked up, so far so good, now to kick it up a notch. From the slow and harmonious Stairway to Heaven, he switched to the high speed guitar solo from Through the Fire and Flames. Rukia's eyes widened with amazement as she watched Ichigo's fingers dance across the frets with breathtaking speed; so much so that she began to wonder if his fingers were using shunpo.

He unslung the guitar from the strap and rested it against the amp. Rukia was speechless. Ichigo sat down beside her, she took no notice; her eyes were glued to the guitar. "Show me how to play it." She demanded. Ichigo once again picked up the guitar and handed it to Rukia. Immediately, she tried to mimic his finger movements a few minutes ago, but all that came out of the amp was a reverberating cacophony. Rukia shot Ichigo a look of frustration.

"You won't be able to play such a complex piece right away. I've been playing for quite a few years now and that piece was hard even after all my practice. You should start off with the basics." Rukia looked up at Ichigo pleadingly. "Alright, pass me the guitar for a moment." Rukia complied somewhat reluctantly and Ichigo knelt before her, his eyes coming level with hers. He began to play Radar Love by Golden Earring, an excellent introduction he thought. He played it through once normally then again, slowing the tempo right down so that Rukia could observe every pick, strum, note and chord he played. "Now you try." He insisted, handing the guitar back to Rukia. She gave it a good try, but she messed up her fingering on many of the notes. "That's a good first attempt." Ichigo encouraged.

Rukia scowled at the guitar, why did it refuse to cooperate? Why couldn't she make it work as Ichigo did? What was she missing? "Show me how to do it properly then." She said flatly. Ichigo decided to go for a more hands on approach; a decision he would regret. He knelt directly behind her and cupped her petite hand in his. For a moment she resisted his touch, then relaxed as he began gently guiding her fingers onto the correct frets. Her skin felt soft and warm against his hand, a shiver of excitement ran up his arm.

He watched over her shoulder as she strummed and picked the strings to his instruction. She was getting the hang of it, but he was losing it; his head was close to hers, too close, he could smell the sweet sent of the shampoo on her hair and feel its velvety softness against his cheek and ear. His face reddened. How much more could he take? As he looked down to observe her plucking and strumming, he could feel his eyes straining to gaze into the shadowy gap at the top of her dress. His mind was racing and it took a great deal of concentration to remain focused on his current objective; teaching Rukia how to play the guitar.

Eventually, she had perfected the piece and Ichigo was able to put some distance between them. Standing up, he returned the guitar and amp to their rightful place. Turning around, he saw Rukia standing behind him. Her cheeks were red and she was looking down at her feet and wringing her hands. It was obvious that she was nervous. He had never really seen her nervous before, but what was she nervous about? What was she planning to do?

He did not have to wait long to find out. Suddenly, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms loosely about his shoulders. "Thanks Ichigo," she said softly; "Thanks for today, and thanks for teaching me how to play guitar. Oh, and thanks for the rabbit." She pulled away as soon as she finished speaking and headed for her closet, climbing inside without a word.

Ichigo was stunned, Rukia had just hugged him. One light embrace, quivering and uncertain; it was over in moments, but it had happened, he could still faintly feel her thin arms resting on his shoulders. What was she thinking? Was that an overflow of excitement, an expression of gratitude or something more? He would have given anything to know what she was thinking then. She looked nervous before and she was blushing as she pulled away. He just couldn't figure it out and his head hurt from trying.

Slowly, he got into bed and settled down for the night. Suddenly remembering something, he called to Rukia. "Rukia, about the trip to Australia, have you decided who you are going to take with you yet?"

"Baka." Replied Rukia; "That should be obvious."

AN: Here it is, the second chapter, submitted the same day as promised, finally submitted at 3AM lol. I hope you enjoy it. Unfortunately, chapter three will not be up as quickly, but I'll try to get it finished by the end of the week. Rest assured, I'm just as eager to write it as you are to read it. Just to let you know, chapter three is entitled: An Unexpected Vacation for Two.

PS. Thanks again to Aizawa Ayumu Oz Vessalius and Debido his eagle-eyed scrutiny.


	3. An Unexpected Vacation For Two

**Much More Than Black and White**

**Chapter Three: An Unexpected Vacation for Two**

The first rays of the sun's morning light were, creeping under Ichigo's curtain and splashing against the ceiling, blending into the glow of the light in the centre of the room. Two suitcases lay open on Ichigo's bed, one black and unassuming trolley bag near the head and a pink one covered in rabbits, obviously Rukia's. Between them lay two heaps of clothes. One, Rukia's, was far larger than the other. Rukia had evidently strewn out every article of clothing that she owned upon the bed, clearly oblivious to the whole concept of packing. So much so that at first she had attempted to cram the entire contents of her closet into the case, bedding and all.

"So," Ichigo began, stretching away the last of his weariness; "we leave tomorrow, we'd better make sure we haven't forgotten anything" sitting at his desk, he began to write up an inventory of the clothes that he had selected. Once he had finished, he turned around to see if Rukia had made her selection yet. She hadn't. His jaw dropped as he saw the massive heap of clothes on his bed. There was no way she could fit everything in, not by a long shot. "Rukia, you can't take so much." He said half patronizingly.

"Then show me what I should take." Said Rukia tiredly, her expression was so innocent that Ichigo could not help but smile. Standing up, he moved over to the pile of clothes on his bed. There was no shadow of organization to it; everything was jumbled together; not even her socks had stayed paired.

Ichigo blushed at the thought of digging through the pile and coming upon some unmentionable undergarment. Did she even own anything like that? Now he'd made himself curious. That wouldn't do. He moved over to his much smaller pile and began folding up his clothes. "First sort out that senseless heap, then I'll help you." Said Ichigo flatly as he folded a t-shirt into his suitcase. Rukia gave him a disgruntled look, but went about her assigned task nonetheless.

Finally, Ichigo had all of his clothes folded and packed away. He looked over to the other end of the bed. For once, she had done everything right; she had not only organized her clothes but folded them neatly. "Now, select six outfits plus the one you want to travel in. try to select different types of outfits, some formal, some informal. As to your travelling outfit, make sure it's light comfortable. Once you've done that, select underwear to go with each of them and lay them out. Then I'll write you up an inventory then you can pack it all into the bag neatly. Use mine as an example." Ichigo then went downstairs and left Rukia to her task, he had a few other things to get ready.

Ten minutes later, he barged back into the room, his arms filled with towels, goggles, shampoo, soap, deodorant, sunscreen and an assortment of other toiletries. Most he had bought the previous day. He then began to organize the assortment into two nearly identical piles.

Meanwhile, Rukia had made her selection and was looking up at him apprehensively. "Good," he said comfortingly as he scrutinized the rows of neatly laid out clothes. Returning to his desk, he took another sheet of paper and wrote up an inventory of her selection for her. As he placed each outfit in, he ticked it off on the inventory. Rukia was surprised that he was being so organized. In reality, he had consulted Isshin on the matter the night before. He wanted Rukia's first holiday to be a pleasant one. Lying on her side, Rukia examined the two piles of toiletries he had set aside. "Where are those going?" she asked, yawning as she spoke.

"They're going in our suitcases too." Ichigo replied as he finished stowing the last blouse inside her case. After carefully adding each item to the correct inventory, he packed the toiletries into the cases and zipped them shut. "That's that done." He said triumphantly; "Now there are only a few items to deal with. He then began busying himself with a pile of items lying on his desk. Opening his rucksack, he carefully slipped the camera and its accessories, the prize envelope, a few mangas, their sunglasses, packs of sweets and his passport inside he also strapped a tripod to the side of the rucksack.

He carefully went over his inventories. Two things were amiss. He had not packed a swimsuit for Rukia; he would have to find a way of getting her one before tomorrow, either that or get her one in Australia. Neither had he packed her passport. Come to think of it, did she even _have_ a passport? Why had he waited till now to sort out the passports and how would he go about getting her one if she didn't have one? He swallowed hard; "Rukia, do you have a passport?" he asked hopefully.

"What's a passport?" she asked curiously. Well, that was it, he facepalmed, their holiday was over before it had even began. There was no way that she'd be able to get past check-in without one let alone to Australia. Maybe if she transformed into a shinigami, she could bypass security, but that would leave her gigai squarely at home. No, that wouldn't work and there was no way that he could get her one through the usual channels in time, even if she did have all the necessary paperwork. Suddenly it hit him. Urahara. Urahara travelled all over and would surely know what to do in these circumstances.

Half an hour later, they were in front of Urahara Shōten, Jinta was swinging his broom about like a baseball bat in the forecourt. Entering the store, they found Urahara lazing sprawled out on the floor whilst fanning himself lazily.

"Wake up." Commanded Rukia, kicking his foot.

Urahara sat bolt upright, observing the two of them through half open eyes. Lazily, he felt around behind him for his hat. "Long time no see; what can I do for you?" he said as he returned his hat to its rightful place.

"Rukia needs a passport" Ichigo began tiredly; "can you create one for her?" Urahara scratched his head and looked about his store as if he thought the answer to his question was written on one of the walls or flitting about the room like some insect. Standing, he led them silently through to the back of the shop.

"Now Ichigo, you do realize what you are asking me to do don't you? We're talking about forging legal documents here, not only a passport but all of the accompanying documents as well. The penalties for doing so are pretty bad." Urahara said sullenly.

"Yes," replied Ichigo; "I understand, but it's necessary."

"Alright then," said Urahara smiling; "It shouldn't take more than a couple of hours. You can go Ichigo, I'm sure Rukia can find her own way back. You just finish your preparations and leave everything to me.

As Ichigo headed for the door, he felt a pang of uncertainty at leaving her with Urahara, he did not know why. As he strode along the street, his mind was lost in a cloud of concerns and worries that he himself did not understand, all he knew was that Rukia had been occupying his thoughts a lot more of late; he just couldn't get her out of his head. Maybe he was just concerned about her; after all, she was still very naïve concerning the ways of this world. that was what he had thought until recently but especially now, as they were preparing to go to Australia together, he was coming to the painful realization that there was something more than concern for her as a close friend whirling about within his mind. He was concerned on a much deeper level, deeper even than the concern he felt for Karin and Yuzu. Was that even possible? He, who had given such a vehement speech to Orihime's brother about what it truly meant to be a brother now found himself caring for someone more than his own sisters, whom he had risked his own life to protect on that fateful day when he first met Rukia.

He could not understand it, how could he feel so deeply for her and what was this strong feeling anyway? He knew he did not love her; rather he knew he could not love her. Such a relationship would be doomed to failure from day one; he knew all this, but he still could not shake this emotion that dogged him incessantly. Then a new idea wormed its way into his troubled mind; it was not love at all, but a debt of gratitude to her. That had to be it. That explained why it had burrowed so deep; he was one who never let a debt go unpaid and this debt stood against that element of his character and his pride would not let him forget it. He cheered up a little as he plodded on, although a small part of him knew that he was lying to himself but he ignored it; he would rather live with the lie than face once more the flood of thorny emotions which the lie now held back like a dam, albeit a brittle one.

Before he knew it, he had arrived back home. Still in a daze, he trudged up the stairs and flopped down onto his bed. His cheeks reddened a little as his nose filled with Rukia's scent, she must have been sitting right there before they left to see Urahara. No, he could not allow himself to get lost in those thoughts again. He would not allow himself to do so for Rukia's sake; he could not allow himself to expose his feelings to her, he would never set her up for any more heartache than she had already suffered. He knew she still felt a little guilty about Kaien's death, no matter how she tried to hide it, he knew that it was him she was thinking about when she sat staring off wistfully into the distance. Yes, her heart was still grieving for him. He knew all too well how it felt to lose someone so close.

Hauling himself from such melancholy thoughts, he pulled himself up to the head of the bed and pulled his inventories from his desk. Slowly, he began to check them over and over; he would not allow anything to remain forgotten. A swimsuit for Rukia was the obvious, he would buy one of her in Australia but he felt that something else lay hidden in the corner of his mind. Suddenly, it hit upon him; His talisman ring. Urahara had created it for him a couple of years ago. It served the same purpose as his badge but was a lot less conspicuous. He hoped he would not need it, but he would much rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. After rummaging about in his draw for a while, he found it and slipped it securely onto his finger. Lying down, he looked up at his ring and wondered how Rukia was getting on over at Urahara's. He soon dozed off into dreams about what the next few days may hold for them.

Slowly, his eyes opened and began to refocus. A dark shape hovered inches above his face and he was being shaken. "It must be Karin." He thought; "Can't she let her brother have a nap in peace." It was not Karin. He sat up suddenly as he realized who was above him. Ichigo's head slammed into hers with enough force to daze them both.

"Baka, what was that for?" asked Rukia angrily as she rubbed her aching forehead.

"Why were you so close in the first place?" retorted Ichigo rubbing his own head.

"Well, you weren't waking up." Stated Rukia perching on the edge of the bed as she spoke.

"What were you trying to do, kiss me in my sleep?" snapped Ichigo, still half dazed. Rukia bushed and looked away. Suddenly he realized what he had just said. Why had he said _that _of all things? Now his face was reddening also. Rukia still hadn't replied. Had she really been trying to kiss him? "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that." Said Ichigo apologetically, hoping to break the tension, placing his hand on her shoulder reassuringly.

She began to chuckle to herself. "I'm sorry Ichigo," she said amid her laughter; "I was only trying to check your temperature but I didn't expect you to jump to that conclusion and then apologize for it so quickly. I wonder what's going on in your head."

"Trust me, you don't want to know." Said Ichigo frankly. As soon as he spoke, he wished he could take every syllable back.

"Oh?" Said Rukia with a sly smile, raising an eyebrow as she spoke. Ichigo had really dropped himself in it this time.

"Bah, just drop it." Implored Ichigo. "Did you get the passport from Urahara?" He added, desperate to change the subject. She nodded. "Well let me see it then." Encouraged Ichigo. She handed it over to him and he pulled his own passport from his rucksack and began comparing the two. Urahara had really came through, apart from their personal details, he could spot no difference between the two passports; they even felt and smelled the same.

Suddenly, he noticed a small plastic pill bottle sitting next to her; "What are those?" he enquired, pointing at the container.

She glanced down at the container. "They're soul fixing pills; they are necessary for prolonged use of a gigai; they maintain precise motor control."

Ichigo facepalmed as he read its label.

"What is it?" Rukia enquired.

"There's no way we'll get these through customs." He replied.

"Why not?" replied Rukia obliviously.

"Think about it." Said Ichigo in a strained tone; "The guys at security will take one look at that label and send us to the nut house, or even worse, throw us in prison for attempted drug smuggling. As fare as they're concerned, there's no such thing as a gigai and therefore such a medicine wouldn't exist."

"But it does exist." She stated, pointing to the bottle.

"You're missing the point." Stated Ichigo. "Nevermind, I'll take care of it, wait here." He added reassuringly. He then stood up and headed downstairs. He found Isshin sitting at the table. "O'san, do you have a moment." He said bluntly, placing the bottle before him, behind the newspaper so that Yuzu, who was sitting opposite him wouldn't see the label.

Isshin quickly scanned the label and grunted in realization. "Alright, come with me." He instructed, leading Ichigo into the back of the clinic where he kept the medicines.

"They're soul fixing pills; Rukia needs them to…" Isshin stopped his son mid-sentence. "I know what they are and I know where you acquired them, I also know what you want me to do." He said bluntly. He opened a cabinet and withdrew a bottle and from a draw, he withdrew a pen and a roll of pretyped labels. Selecting a label, he entered Rukia's name, the dosage and the date into the appropriate blanks in his nearly illegible doctor's script. Peeling the label from its backing, he applied it to the bottle then poured the pills from one bottle into another then secured its childproof cap. Ichigo knew that he would have to open it for her.

Isshin handed the bottle to his son. Examining it, Ichigo noted that the label now identified the bottle's contents as a complex multivitamin supplement. He smiled; there would be no problem getting this past security. Suddenly something dawned on him that had never occurred to him before. "O'san." He said apprehensively; "I've never seen you take anything like these, how do you retain control of your gigai?"

Isshin turned to his son, his expression was sullen; "That doesn't concern you; suffice to say this body," he thumped his chest; "is most decidedly not a gigai, for if it were, you and your sisters would not be here today. Now you'd best get some sleep, you have an early flight to catch. Take care of her over there; otherwise, you'll have much more than just Bayakuya to worry about."

"Yeah," agreed Ichigo; "Thanks for your help." He then headed back to his room, quite confused by his father's statement. If his body was not a gigai, what was it? And what had he meant about him and his sisters not being here if his body were a gigai?

As he stepped into his room, he came upon a sight that he would much rather have left unseen; Rukia ha evidently been thinking along the same lines as Isshin and had decided to retire for the night. That would have been fine, but Ichigo had walked in just as she was sliding her leggings off her ankles. He was frozen to the spot, his heart pounding so hard in his throat that he feared it would leap right out through his mouth. Rukia was before him in only her underwear, facing away from him as she bent over to remove her leggings. His hormones were raging; no young man in his position would have felt any less aroused than he did now. A thousand ideas surged into his mind, a thousand ways he could take control of this situation. Rukia may be a strong shinigami, but in her gigai, she was weak, it would be easy to overpower her and put any one of those ideas into action.

Yes, she _was_ weak and that meant he _had_ to protect her, even from himself. His pride would not allow him to do anything less. With great effort, he tore his eyes away from the excruciatingly seductive sight and turned around. "Rukia," he said, his voice befuddled by his embarrassment; "I don't really mind you changing in my room, but please let me know in advance. Otherwise, I might walk in on you and, next time, I might not be able to control myself." Why had he added that last sentence? Now Rukia would certainly realize his feelings that he wished he could ignore. Now she would see him as a pervert and would probably end up hating him. Oh why couldn't he have kept his foolish mouth shut?

"Okay, you can turn around now." Said Rukia waveringly, now dressed in her pyjamas. Her face was crimson. "I'm sorry, you're right, I should have been more considerate. I appreciate your honesty; I know it must have been hard for you to admit that to me. Don't worry, I realize what you meant and I don't think any less of you for it. After all, it's only natural that you have such feelings and urges."

As Ichigo looked into her shimmering azure eyes, they resonated only sincerity. He breathed a sigh of relief, she had not picked up on his true feelings; she only saw natural desires of a young man faced with such a sight. "Thanks Rukia, I knew that you'd understand; I just wanted to be honest with you. Now let's get some rest, we have a big day ahead of us." Rukia nodded in agreement and they were soon both asleep, although Ichigo's dreams were haunted by Rukia strutting seductively about in her underwear.

It was still pitch black outside when they awoke at 2A.M. Neither had slept much, both were far to excited to do so. They both headed downstairs, filled with a heady mixture of nervousness and excitement which sealed their lips. Standing in the entryway, Ichigo slung his rucksack over his shoulder and extended the handles on both of their suitcases. Isshin, Yuzu and Karin had come down to see them off, albeit in their pyjamas. Yuzu was crying a little and Karin had placed her arm around her sister's shoulders to comfort her.

"Take care Oniichan." Said Yuzu through her tears. It was plain that Karin was also upset, but she was trying to be strong for her sister.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine." Said Ichigo reassuringly.

"And we'll bring you both back lots of souvenirs." Added Rukia smiling.

"What about me?" Pleaded Isshin in his usual irritating style.

"Shut it Goat-chin." Hissed Karin, delivering a strong kick to his kneecap which toppled him over.

Ichigo opened the door behind him and spun the cases about. His sisters shivered as the cool air washed over them. "We'll be off then." Said Ichigo with a smile; "Yuzu, take care of things whilst I'm away. She nodded, wiping away her tears. "And Karin, you keep O'san in line."

"Don't I always?" she replied rhetorically. Ichigo laughed and turned for the door.

"Take care you two and enjoy your honeymoon!" called Isshin from where he had fallen. Ichigo and Rukia blushed and hastily scuttled out of the door before he could say anything else to further embarrass them.

"You never learn do you?" said Karin, stepping on his head whilst Yuzu looked on in despair.

As they strolled along under the amber glow of the sodium street lights, their breath condensed on the cool air; they were both dressed for the flight which awaited them, not for the cool of the early hours of the morning. Suddenly, Ichigo began huffing and puffing as they walked along, his breath rising in miniature clouds. Rukia was confused, "What are you doing?" she asked.

"I was imitating a steam train." He admitted somewhat embarrassed by his childish game.

"What's a steam train?" asked Rukia, intrigued by his sudden desire to imitate one. Ichigo explained what a steam train was and as he did so, he grew even more embarrassed by his actions. Suddenly, much to his surprise, Rukia charged off, doing a steam train impression of her own, trailing her suitcase behind her like a carriage. Ichigo smiled and charged after her, joining in the game, glad that there was nobody else out at this hour who could witness his childish behaviour.

At their new pace, they reached the station in no time. They found a bench on the deserted platform and sat down to catch their breath; they still had a few minutes before their train arrived. Rukia looked up at him smiling, her excited eyes fixed on his. "That was fun," she stated; "I never knew cold mornings could be so much fun."

"Yeah." Agreed Ichigo, smiling. He could see that she was bubbling over with excitement. Suddenly an idea struck him. "Rukia, stand over by that sign." He said with a smile. Rukia was a little unsure of his reasoning, but she trusted him and did as he asked. He then began busying himself with his rucksack; he detached the tripod and expanded it, then slotted the camera onto it; he had already attached the tripod's quick release plate to the camera whilst he was waiting for Rukia the day before. Positioning the tripod so that Rukia was squarely in frame, he started the timer and rushed over to her side.

"Smile" said Ichigo. Seconds later, the flash went off, leaving little squares flitting about their field of vision. Ichigo motioned for Rukia to follow him back to the camera. Looking at the display, they saw their first photo; the two of them standing side by side under a sign which read "Karukara Eki" Rukia smiled to him then began wandering about the platform. "So it begins." Sighed Ichigo with a smile as he set about securing the tripod to the side of his rucksack once more, he kept the camera around his neck, dangling on its strap.

Turning, he saw that Rukia had walked right up to the edge of the edge of the platform and was leaning over to see what lay along the tracks. Running over to her, he grabbed her by the collar and pulled her back, spinning her around to face him. "You mustn't to do that, it's dangerous." Said Ichigo, she could hear the anxiety in his voice.

"Why?" she asked, but as she did, her question was answered most profoundly; the platform quivered beneath their feet and there was a sudden howling rush of wind behind them accompanied by a low rumbling sound. Rukia felt the wind on the back of her neck and as her eyes followed the wind; she saw a goods train speeding by inches from her head. Her eyes widened in horror as she realized how close she had been to death. "I… I…. I didn't know." She stammered, tears trickling down her cheeks.

"It's alright, you didn't know." Said Ichigo comfortingly, wiping away her tears, he could feel that she was trembling with fear. "It's alright." He repeated, pulling her into an embrace. He felt her trembling hands rest against his chest, he realized that she was in shock. He lowered his head to her ear and whispered; "Just promise me you'll try to be more careful, I don't know what I'd do if I lost you Rukia."

"Ichigo…" she said, her eyes welling up once more with tears. Why was she crying now? Her shock had subsided thanks to Ichigo and she felt safe, secure in his arms. She felt as if nothing from this world or the soul society could reach her so long as she remained within his strong embrace. She was safe now; she was never truly in danger, even if her gigai had been destroyed, she would not have died, only forced into her shinigami form. By rights, she shouldn't be crying, yet her tears still fell despite her logic.

If she was not sad, then her tears must be tears of joy. Yes, that was it, for the first time, Ichigo had embraced her; she had felt his body pressed against hers. For years she had been wavering and uncertain but today at last, that uncertainty was over. For the first time, she was certain that he truly cared for her, though she did not know whether it was love or not. At this point, she didn't care; just knowing that he had strong enough feelings for her to say what he had was enough for her, at least for now. For the first time, she felt truly content.

Ichigo, strangely enough, felt no embarrassment, he had not acted any differently than he would have if it were Yuzu, Karin or even Tatsuki. He had only embraced her to steady her; he had only whispered to help calm her nerves. Yet, his heart was still racing; forgetting the circumstance, he had really hugged Rukia. Would she pick up on his feelings from it? He just didn't know, but looking at her now, he could see that she was in a daze. Maybe his feelings had reached her; now his cheeks began to redden with the heat of embarrassment at his sudden realization.

Settling back down on the bench, they watched the platform, awaiting their train. Rukia was looking at Ichigo, wondering what he was thinking, maybe he, like her, was still thinking about that embrace. Silently, she wished that someone had been there to capture that moment with their camera and then she could look at it whenever she wanted, whenever she needed confirmation that it had not been a dream.

A short while later, their train drew up to the platform and its doors hissed open. They both entered and Ichigo selected a pair of seats facing a table, onto which he laid their three bags. Apart from the two of them, their carriage was deserted and Ichigo doubted if there were any other passengers aboard.

Soon, the conductor stopped before them and, seeing that they had no tickets asked them where they were headed. Ichigo told him that they were headed for Narita Airport. The conductor then punched their destination into his ticket machine. The tickets were one thousand yen apiece. Ichigo happily paid the two thousand yen for their tickets and, taking them from the conductor, he slipped them into his top pocket. His business with them completed; the conductor disappeared deeper into the train.

With a shudder, the train lurched into motion. Rukia stared intently out of her window as the lights of Karukara whizzed by her in a blur and the sound of the train's wheels on the rails filled her ears. Taking quick aim, Ichigo clicked the shutter and put the camera down onto the table before him; she just looked too adorable with her nose pressed up against the glass, her breath fogging the window and the city lights reflecting in her eyes. He loved the way that she found such joy in things which seemed mundane to him. Just by being with her, he began to see life through her eyes and found himself enjoying even the most mundane tasks alongside her.

As the train trundled into another station, Rukia saw a calico cat lazily sprawled out on the wall behind the platform. Her hands pressed themselves against the glass as she was taken by the adorable sight. Suddenly, she shot a glance in Ichigo's direction. He followed her gaze down to the table. Realizing what she wanted, he slid the camera across to her. She snatched it up excitedly. Remembering the instructions Ichigo had given her on its use, she slid the power switch to on and watched intently as the lens emerged from its hiding place. Then something happened which she did not intend; her finger found the shutter and the flash fired right into her eyes. Dazed, Rukia sat there a moment rubbing her eyes. Once the dots had disappeared from her vision, she raised the camera to the window, but her target was no longer there. Disappointed, she placed the camera down on the table in front of her then resigned herself to gazing once more out of the window.

The train rolled on through the cityscape yet to Rukia, it was now just a blur; she had really wanted to take that cat's picture. Something soft and warm brushed by her shin. She looked up at Ichigo, but he was reading a manga. Curious, Rukia leant over and peered under the table. There, sitting in the shadows was a cat, the same cat which had been sitting on the wall. She reached under the table towards it. Its ears twitched and it approached her cautiously. Rukia remained perfectly still. Tentatively, the cat sniffed her outstretched fingers then rubbed its cheek against her hand. Smiling, Rukia scratched behind its ear. The cat began to purr softly. The sound warmed her spirit.

As she sat up, a little face poked out at her from beneath the table. Quickly, Rukia aimed the camera and pressed the shutter. As the flash fired, there was a loud meow followed by a hiss and the cat sprinted off into the next car. "Aww," sighed Rukia; "I didn't mean to scare it." A sound from the other end of the table caught her attention, Ichigo was yawning widely, his arms outstretched above him. Once more, she pressed the shutter.

"What was that for?" asked Ichigo grumpily, startled by the flash; Rukia only smiled back at him. He glanced down at his watch, the day glow dial displayed twenty past three; they would be reaching Narita soon. He pulled the envelope containing their tickets from his rucksack and handed Rukia hers along with her passport. She took them, her expression uncertain. "You need to hold onto your own ticket and passport from now until we leave the airport in Australia." Said Ichigo frankly; "Once we enter the airport, stay close to me and if you can't remember what you need to do, just do as I do; these places are all about following procedure. Whatever you do, don't mention anything related to the soul society, it won't go down well. When they ask you if you packed your own luggage, just say that you did, it will make the process go a lot more smoothly. Do you have any questions?"

Rukia shook her head; this was the tenth time Ichigo had been over airport procedure with her; although she knew he was only trying to make sure nothing went wrong; she thought it belittling that he felt the need to explain things so many times. She turned back to the window; they had entered a long tunnel; "How boring." She thought, resting her head on her hands and waited for the darkness to pass by.

Once the train exited the tunnel, it began to slow, the tannoy crackled into life and the conductor announced that they would soon be pulling into Narita station. "We're here." Sighed Ichigo, slipping the rucksack onto his back. Rukia stood up and placed her case back on its wheels and pulled its handle up. Ichigo did the same and they both headed for the end of the carriage.

The train's brakes screeched and squealed as it pulled into the station. As they exited the train, Ichigo looked about him; only half a dozen others disembarked. Rukia was rooted to the spot, taken aback by the sea of new sights and sounds, her eyes were fixed on the sky the low rumble of idling jets counterpointed by the roar of those taking off and the high whine of those on approach filled her ears.

Overhead, a large airliner filled the sky, its undercarriage slowly retracting into its belly. That was Rukia's first time seeing an aircraft up close, it scared her a little. She had often seen aircraft flying overhead; silver birds as Ichigo called them when she had trouble understanding his explanation, she liked the white trails they left behind and she always thought that the aircraft that made them were sleek and beautiful, riding silently on the air currents. This thing which now passed overhead was nothing like what she had expected; it was not sleek but angular and it howled and roared louder than any hollow that she had encountered. Soon she would be inside one of those behemoths. She shuddered to think what they must be like on the inside. She felt a large palm between her shoulder blades; Ichigo was guiding her through the milling crowds toward the entrance.

As they entered the automatic doors, their eyes were met with a massive room which stretched round out of sight in both directions. Ichigo checked his ticket; they were flying with JAL. Scanning the far side of the room, he noticed a JAL sign off in the distance. "This way." He called and they both strolled toward the sign, trundling their cases behind them. There were six open check-in desks and the lines were short, they joined one of them and waited. Soon, Ichigo was before the attendant whilst Rukia was trying to observe him from where she stood. Ichigo handed over his case and passport when requested and everything went smoothly for him, although he did have to send his tripod along with his case as it was too large to be considered carryon. Soon, Ichigo had finished and sauntered off to a group of departure screens to await Rukia, his rucksack slung haphazardly over one shoulder.

Rukia now nervously approached the desk. "Good morning and thank you for flying JAL, please show me your ticket and passport." Rukia looked apprehensively over to Ichigo, but he was facing the screens. She handed the documents over silently. "Good, everything seems to be in order." Smiled the attendant; "Now please load your luggage onto the conveyor belt." With a little difficulty, Rukia complied and the attendant tagged the suitcase. "Did you pack everything yourself?" asked the attendant. Rukia nodded, too nervous to speak. "Very well, everything is in order, enjoy your flight." Said the attendant as she handed Rukia her documents along with her boarding past. Rukia watched curiously as her suitcase was carried along by the conveyor through a curtain. She wondered what lay behind those curtains.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she returned to Ichigo's side. "That wasn't too bad, was it?" said Ichigo with a smile. "Let's head into the departure lounge." As they headed for the escalators, Rukia found that she was growing more and more uncertain; the airport was so vast and filled with things that she didn't recognize. She began to wonder if they would ever find each other again if they were separated. She lightly held onto the hem of Ichigo's shirt, determined not to be separated from him; Ichigo had gone to so much trouble to make sure that everything would go smoothly and she would not let his efforts go to waste. Ichigo paid no attention to it; if holding onto his shirt made Rukia feel better, he was more than happy to allow it.

Soon, they were on the fourth floor of the terminal and Ichigo began searching for their gate. He soon found it, a large archway clearly labelled "Gate Six" before it lay a kiosk with an attendant standing behind it. Behind her lay a clock which now read ten past four; almost two hours remained until their flight. He walked up to the desk; "Excuse me," he said haltingly; "what time does boarding begin for this flight?" he showed her his boarding pass. The attendant punched the flight number into her terminal and said that advance boarding began at 5:20. "Advance boarding?" thought Ichigo; "Advance boarding was only for business and first class so why had she gave him the advance boarding time?" he questioned the attendant on the matter and after consulting her terminal once more, she confirmed that they were flying business class. A smile spread across Ichigo's face as he thanked the attendant for her time.

He was about to leave when an idea struck him, taking off his rucksack, he pulled out his camera. Seeing as it was so quiet now would be a good time to take a picture of them both under the Gate's archway. If only he had his tripod. Noticing the queue barrier pylons, Ichigo tried resting the camera on one of them, but he could not fit the whole archway within the frame. He was just about to put his camera away when the attendant approached him; "If you wish, I could take the picture for you." She said cheerfully. Thanking her, Ichigo handed the camera to her then he and Rukia stood beneath the arch.

"Okay, smile!" said the attendant as she took aim. Ichigo draped his arm across Rukia's shoulders and smiled. Rukia blushed a little but smiled also. The attendant took a few shots in quick succession then handed the camera back to Ichigo. He thanked her and turned to Rukia.

"Okay Rukia, let's head to the concourse." Said Ichigo with a smile. Rukia held onto his shirt once more as they headed up to the topmost floor of the terminal. As they stepped out onto the main thoroughfare of the concourse they were met with a staggering sight; there were shops and kiosks selling everything from trinkets and souvenirs to digital cameras. Though he had the prize money in the rucksack, he decided to save it for later. Walking over to one of the smaller kiosks, he selected a pair of keychains bearing the Narita airport logo; the first souvenirs for Yuzu and Karin. Turning to Rukia, he saw that she was staring wide eyed at a plush rabbit holding a sign which read "Itterashai!" (Have a nice trip). "Ah well, they were on holiday after all." Though Ichigo as he once more fished out his wallet and purchased one for her. She embraced it tightly as she took it, smiling brightly.

Now he was at a loss as to where to head next; they still had almost an hour before boarding began. Suddenly, a growling from his stomach decided their next destination for him and he began to search for a café or restaurant. After a short while, he found one whose tables were laid out before a set of full height windows which looked out over the aprons and runways. He approached the counter and, seeing that there was nobody there, he rang the bell for service.

"What'll it be?" Said the tired looking woman as she came through a door behind the counter. She sounded quite bored; she'd probably been working all night and was now coming to the end of her shift.

"I'll have a hot chocolate and a piece of that chocolate cake." He said, pointing to a black forest gateaux. "What will you have?" he asked, turning to Rukia.

She blushed a little and began studying the selection, but eventually decided to have the same as Ichigo. The woman gave them a plastic disc with a number on it, instructing them to find a table. Ichigo chose a table nearest the window and slotted the disc into the stand in the centre of the table.

Rukia gazed out of the window as she stirred her hot chocolate; she watched eagerly as various aircraft taxied along the aprons whilst the ground crews scuttled about antlike below them. Every now and then, her attention was taken by an aircraft tearing along the runway as it took off. She was amazed that everything seemed to operate so smoothly despite the apparent confusion. Sipping her hot chocolate, she began to wonder what it would be like to be aboard one when it charged down the runway. Soon she would find out first hand.

"Ichigo?" she said, looking up at him.

"Hm?" he mumbled, having just taken a big bite of his cake.

"Have you ever flown before?" she asked ponderingly. He shook his head. "I was wondering, what is business class?" she asked, popping a marshmallow into her mouth.

"It means that we'll have more comfortable seats with more legroom, along with some other perks." He took another bite of his rapidly diminishing cake.

"Ah," replied Rukia. "How long will it take to fly there?" She asked, finishing off her hot chocolate.

"You're just full of questions aren't you?" said Ichigo cheerily; "According to the attendant at the check-in desk, the flight will take about ten hours."

Rukia's expression fell. She would soon be cooped up in one of those aircraft for ten hours, how boring. Well, at least she may be able to get some sleep on the way there. She stood up and strode off toward the window. Leaning against the frame with her hands clasped behind her, she looked down at the aircraft parked at the gates below her. Once more, Ichigo took out his camera and took her picture. Once he had finished his hot chocolate, he joined her. Counting along from the end, he found their gate; it was still empty. Looking along the apron, he noticed a plane taxiing toward the gate. "Look, there's our plane." He said quietly, pointing to the aircraft coming to a halt before gate six.

"Let's go then." Said Rukia with a smile.

"No, not just yet, there's still twenty minutes left." Said Ichigo, looking at his watch. "Shall we go for a walk until then, seeing as we will be sitting down for the next ten hours?" Rukia nodded in agreement and they began to stroll around the concourse, stopping here and there to look out of a window or to examine something in one of the stores.

Once more they were before the attendant at gate six; a few others had begun to gather, waiting for boarding to begin. Soon, a green light came on above the arch and the attendant asked for those of business class and above to make their way to the gate. They joined the slowly progressing queue. Rukia was fidgeting with her passport and boarding pass; once again filled with a mixture of nervousness and excitement. Ichigo stood behind her, also feeling similar, but trying not to show it.

"Boarding pass please." Said the attendant as Rukia approached the kiosk. Rukia nervously handed over her pass. The attendant checked it over, scanned it and then stamped it. "Have a nice flight, next please." She said, handing Rukia her stamped boarding pass. Rukia headed into the archway but waited for Ichigo just inside, determined not to lose sight of him. Soon, they were walking together down the corridor. At the end of the corridor, it forked in two. Thankfully, a sign had been placed which directed them to the right fork. They soon found themselves walking along the skybridge toward their plane, a stewardess stood by the hatch to welcome them aboard.

Stepping aboard, Ichigo began checking the numbers on the end of each row whilst Rukia gazed about the cabin; it was nothing like she had imagined, she had expected to find an environment similar to the train which had brought them to the airport; rows of benches occasionally interrupted by a table. This cabin felt much better, it was bright and open, although it only had small windows. This confused Rukia, why couldn't they put large ones in as they did on the train. She'd question Ichigo about it later. He stopped suddenly, so suddenly that she bumped into his rucksack.

"Here we are." He said triumphantly, pointing to a row of seats; "You can sit by the window, it'll be easier for me to look over your shoulder than for you to look over mine." Rukia chuckled at his reasoning as she slid into the window seat. Ichigo plonked his rucksack down onto his seat then pulled out the camera, a packet of sweets and a few mangas then zipped it back up and stowed it in the overhead compartment.

"Smile." He said, taking aim with the camera. Rukia smiled weakly as Ichigo pressed the shutter; she was now feeling far more nervous than excited. Settling himself down beside her, he held the camera away from himself so that he could fit both of them in the frame and took another picture. Reviewing it, he found it was not perfectly framed but it was good enough and Rukia's nervous expression was so endearing that he decided to keep it rather than delete it and try again. Placing the camera, mangas and sweets onto his tray table, he fastened his seatbelt. Rukia did the same, albeit with a little help from Ichigo and they settled down to await takeoff.

Passengers filed past them in a constant stream for nearly half an hour. There were many smiling faces, some tired ones, a few sad ones and some who seemed completely bored with flying. The cabin was filled with thousands of voices as holidaymakers, businessmen and commuters jostled to find their seats and get settled. Eventually the voices died down to a dull murmur as everyone aboard awaited departure.

"Good morning, this is your captain speaking." A hush fell over the cabin as the captain's voice came over the tannoy; "We shall be departing on schedule at oh six hundred hours and are expecting to touch down at Sydney Kingsford Smith International just before eighteen hundred hours local time. Please listen to the important information about to be presented to you by our stewardesses. Thank you for flying JAL."

As soon as the captain finished his welcoming speech, the stewardesses went about the standard safety briefing; Ichigo found it hard not to laugh at their dancelike gestures. Soon, the stewardesses headed for the front of the plane and they heard a loud clunk from the front of the aircraft as the skybridge disengaged and the hatch was closed and locked. Slowly, the aircraft began to trundle backwards. Ichigo suddenly felt Rukia's hand against his, she was trembling with fear. Ichigo looked over to her and she, feeling his gaze turned towards him. Her whole expression was one of fear. Ichigo cupped her hand in his; she smiled weakly back at him. "It's alright Rukia," said Ichigo warmly; "everything will be alright. We're completely safe." He stroked the back of her hand comfortingly and soon she had begun to relax. As she turned to look out of the window, she saw the apron lights filing by steadily as the plane taxied along.

Soon, the aircraft came to a halt. Peering out of the window, Rukia realized that they were at the end of the runway. Soon they would be racing along as the aircraft took off. She grasped Ichigo's hand more tightly. The suspense was growing, sounds of hydraulic rams filled her ears, the engines roared, idled, roared again then returned to idling; everything was foreign to her. Along the wing, she noticed that segments began to extend; the flaps were deploying for takeoff. "This is your captain speaking." Once more the tannoy had crackled into life; "We have finished our pre-flight checks and are about to take off, please do not remove your seatbelts until the seatbelt warning light goes out." Rukia squeezed Ichigo's hand even tighter, her knuckles turning white as the engines roared once more, even louder than before.

Slowly, the aircraft lurched forward, then it began to gather speed, faster and faster it careered along the runway, forcing the passengers into their seats. Rukia's heart was beating ever faster as the plane accelerated, her eyes widened in surprise as she found she was pinned to her seat by the force of the acceleration. The thunderous sound of tyres on tarmac grew louder and louder, lights were whizzing by her window faster and faster. Suddenly, the aircraft began to tilt backwards, pointing its nose to the sky just as dawn was beginning to break before them.

The noise of the tyres vanished in an instant; the plane had broken free of gravity and was racing skywards. They were airborne; their first flight had truly begun. The whir of gears filled their ears followed by the dull clunk of latches locking into place as the undercarriage was retracted. Rukia watched in awe as the ground retreated below her as they climbed ever higher. Looking over the wing, Rukia saw the flaps retracting incrementally. She loosened her grip on Ichigo's hand a little. As the aircraft levelled out, she began to feel a little more at ease.

Ichigo smiled back at her as she released his hand. Suddenly, a curious expression appeared on her face. "What is it?" he asked.

"My ears feel funny, like they're going to burst." Said Rukia pleadingly.

"Don't worry, that's perfectly normal, it's caused by the air pressure." Replied Ichigo comfortingly.

"Well, I still don't like it." Pouted Rukia.

"Try holding your nose and blowing." Suggested Ichigo, demonstrating the method. Rukia didn't think it would do anything, but she tried. As she blew, she felt the pressure build and then suddenly dissipate. It had worked, the discomfort had gone and she could hear properly again.

"Thanks," she said, looking over to Ichigo, she saw that he was placing the camera back on the tray table. "You didn't have to take a picture." She said, frowning at him.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it." Ichigo replied innocently; "At least you're not a bag of nerves anymore." Rukia looked at her hands; they were not trembling in the slightest. She smiled back at him. Looking out of the window once more, she saw to her surprise that they were above the clouds which were glowing red with the morning's first light. She took the camera and took a few pictures of the fiery clouds and Mount Fuji bathed in the amber light. Ichigo peered over her shoulder; he too was awestruck by the beauty of the skyscape.

A bell sounded and the seatbelt sign above their heads went out. "Finally." Said Ichigo as he undid his belt. Selecting a manga from the small stack he had brought with him, he settled down to read. Rukia still stared out of the window, captivated by the beauty of the landscape below her. She now felt totally relaxed up here, so much so that she began to wonder why she had been nervous in the first place.

Ichigo closed his manga as he felt something against his shoulder; Rukia had rested her head against him, her eyes were closed and her mouth slightly open. She was breathing softly. "She's sound asleep." Thought Ichigo. He could smell the strawberry sent of her shampoo, it was so relaxing, so much so that was soon asleep beside her.

"Sir? Sir?" Ichigo opened his eyes slowly; a stewardess was tapping him on the shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I must have fallen asleep." Said Ichigo groggily.

"That's quite alright," replied the stewardess reassuringly; "I just need you to choose your in flight meal. I'll also need to hear your companion's choice." She added with a smile. Ichigo shook Rukia awake and explained what was going on. After hearing the choices, Ichigo selected a sirloin steak, chips and mixed vegetables whilst Rukia chose the salmon fillet with boiled potatoes and a salad. "Very good, I'll bring your food momentarily." With that the stewardess headed to ask the next row.

Now wide awake, they sat chatting merrily until the stewardess reappeared with their meals. "How long have we been in the air?" Ichigo asked as accepted his plate from her. The stewardess told him that they had been in the air for a little over seven hours now and were passing over Papua New Guinea. Seven hours, that meant they were nearly there. Ichigo could not help but feel a little excited by the news.

About an hour later, after the stewardess returned to collect their plates and cutlery, Ichigo was at a loss as to what to do; he didn't really want to fall asleep as he really wanted to be awake for the final approach just in case Rukia became anxious once more. He picked up the camera and exploring the menus and settings. Taking a blank piece of paper and a pen out from his rucksack, he began to doodle absent-mindedly until he hit upon an idea. Turning to Rukia, he was about to ask her if she wanted to play hangman, but she had already fallen asleep once more. Ichigo couldn't bring himself to wake her; she just looked so peaceful as she slept beside him. Flipping the paper over, he began to sketch her, taking great care to capture every detail of her sleeping face.

Rukia awoke and rubbed her eyes. "How long until we land?" she yawned. Just then, as if in answer to her question, the seatbelt light illuminated once more and the tannoy crackled into life.

"This is your captain speaking; we are now making our approach to Sydney Kingsford Smith International and expect to touch down on Australian soil within the next twenty minutes. Please remain seated until the aircraft has come to a full and complete stop at the terminal." Rukia looked eagerly about the cabin; the flight was almost over, soon they would be on solid ground once more. Looking out of the window, she saw the patchwork green of the countryside outlined by a thin ribbon of golden sands washed by the sapphire blue waves of the Tasman Sea. As they descended, the countryside gave way to the urbanized cityscape of the New South Wales coast. Taking the camera, she began photographing everything in sight as they began circling Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport. Ichigo was counting the minutes; he was eager to stretch his legs and was quite tired out by the journey although he had slept most of it away.

Soon, the cabin was filled once more with the mechanical overtones of flaps extending and the undercarriage lowering and locking into place. They were now only a few hundred feet up and all they could see from the windows was the warm waters of Botany Bay. Rukia found the lack of land below them quite unsettling. She could now see many little boats sailing about below them; she could even make out the people aboard. The nose tilted up once more and the engine note died away, it seemed to her as if they were about to touch down in the middle of the bay; the waves were now easily visible. Suddenly, the blue below them was replaced by a thin strip of green bordering the black of the runway. Seconds later there was a screech as the wheels made contact with the runway. The nose fell and soon another screech issued from the front of the aircraft; they had landed. The engines roared into life once more, this time in full reverse, bringing the aircraft to an abrupt halt.

Slowly, the aircraft madder for the terminal. Rukia watched as they passed by other aircraft, their windows filled with smiling faces. As she watched, she could not help but smile herself. Soon, the aircraft came to a halt once more and there was a thud as the skybridge connected to the hull.

"This is your captain speaking; welcome to Australia, I hope you enjoy your stay. Thank you for flying JAL." Once the captain had finished speaking, the seatbelt sign went off and Ichigo retrieved his rucksack from the overhead compartment. He repacked the mangas, the camera, the empty sweet packet and his sketch of Rukia into it then closed it up and slung it over his back. Joining the stream of passengers, they shuffled off the aircraft and across the skybridge.

Finding themselves within a large room, they joined a long and winding crew leading toward the passport control booths. Yet another test for Rukia's forged passport; had Urahara done a good enough job to fool these scrutinizing border officials? Soon, it was Ichigo's turn to pass through security; he handed his passport over and after a few seconds of scrutiny, it received a stamp and he was sent on though.

Now it was Rukia's turn. The gruff looking woman took her passport, opened it, looked at it, looked at Rukia, looked back at the passport, then back at Rukia. She placed the passport down before her and put on an expression of utmost concentration. After a long deliberation, she finally stamped Rukia's passport and handed it back to her. Rukia's heart was in her mouth. She went over to meet Ichigo and they followed the path through to the baggage carousel. As they entered, the seemingly endless parade of bags, suitcases, briefcases and various other packages had already begun. Fighting his way to the front, Ichigo stood watching the procession until he spotted the cases he was looking for, he first Rukia's, then his five minutes later. Returning to the bench where Rukia was waiting, he handed her the handle to her case and they both headed out to the arrivals lounge together.

They had been told that their driver would be awaiting them in this lounge, but there was quite a crowd of people standing around holding signs high above their heads. They walked back and forth along the crowd until they found a man holding a sign which read Kuchiki in both English and Japanese. "Are you our driver?" asked Ichigo cordially, extending his hand in greeting.

"I certainly am, and you must be Mr. Kuchiki." Replied the young man, shaking Ichigo's hand.

Ichigo shook his head; "No, my name is Kurosaki, Ichigo Kurosaki." He then pointed to Rukia; "her name's Kuchiki, Rukia Kuchiki, she invited me along and as she's unfamiliar with travelling, she asked me to handle the formalities." Rukia blushed a little as she bowed in greeting.

"Allow me to take your luggage." Insisted the driver, taking the trolley cases' handles from them. "Now if you will follow me, I shall lead you to your car. They both followed the man in silence.

Soon, they were sitting together in the back of a luxury saloon cruising down the busy freeway toward Newcastle. "My name's Bruce Taylor by the way." Called the driver from the front seat. "I'll be available to drive you wherever you want to go for the duration of your stay; although only between the hours of seven in the morning and eleven at night. just give me a call on the…" he tailed off and began rummaging around for something. Eventually, he handed Ichigo a phone. "You just call me on that any time you need a ride and I'll swing on by to pick you up."

About eight o'clock, they pulled up before a grand looking hotel. "Welcome to Hotel Noah's, or Quality Hotel Noah's on the Beach, to give it its full name." said Bruce, opening the door for Rukia then proceeding to retrieve their luggage from the boot. Leading them into the hotel, he handed their luggage over to a porter. "Remember, just call whenever you require my services. Oh, you two make a lovely couple by the way; I doubt it will be long before you're calling yourself Rukia Kurosaki." He said as he turned to leave. The two of them just stood there waving blankly, blushing profusely; neither had the energy to correct him and after all they had been through that day, neither was sure if they actually wanted to.

Ichigo approached the desk. "Name please." Asked the receptionist. Ichigo responded with his own name instinctively. The receptionist checked her records; "I'm sorry, but we don't have any bookings under that name." she replied. Realizing his error, he gave Rukia's name instead. "Ah, you must be the competition winners." Said the receptionist with a smile. "Here's your room key, the porter will show you to your room. I hope you enjoy your stay. Ichigo thanked the receptionist and soon they were riding up in the elevator with the porter.

They disembarked on the fifth floor and the porter lead them to room number 502 then, leaving their luggage by the door, took his leave. You do the honours, said Ichigo, handing Rukia the key then picking up their luggage. Slowly, Rukia turned the key and pushed the door open; all was dark inside. Finding the light switch, Rukia flicked it and the lights flickered into life. The room was brightly painted in blue and gold, there were all the usual amenities that you'd expect to find in a hotel room; an en suite, a TV, wardrobes and chests of draws and a mirror, they even had a balcony. As Ichigo closed the door behind them, they both came to the stark realization that something was not quite right. There was only one bed! What would they do?

A.N.

Well, here it is; chapter three. I'm sorry if its title felt deceptive or teasing, but I'd originally planned to fit the whole holiday into one chapter, but as the events unfolded, there was just so much that had to happen on their journey that is imperative to their development and the development of the plot that it ended up taking up a chapter in itself. I had also concentrated on the details of the journey to allow the reader to feel that they had really travelled along with them. However, don't be fooled into assuming that the next chapter, The Mysterious and Beautiful Land Down Under, will be devoid of character and emotional development due to this chapter's abundance of it. In actuality, it will be quite the contrary; things will certainly be heating up now that they're alone together. With only one another to rely upon, they are bound to grow closer. I'll try not to keep you waiting too long for the next chapter, I know that I can't wait for it myself XD.

I would like to thank all those who have commented previously and encourage anyone who reads this to do so; let me know what you think of the story so far; tell me what you liked and what you think could be improved, I'll take it all aboard and update as necessary and from your opinions, I'll be able to better direct their adventures and misadventures.

I would like to especially thank Aizawa Ayumu Oz Vessalius and Debido for their eagle-eyed critical eyes and especially Novicestar for her encouragement.

Thanks again for reading Much More than Black and White. One last thing; I have begun work on the cover art for it and as soon as it is complete, I'll post a link to it on my homepage, which I still have to finish; I've just been too busy writing this to spare any time for my profile.

21


	4. The Mysterious and Beautiful Land

**Much More than Black and White**

**Chapter Four: The Mysterious and Beautiful Land Down Under**

Standing in the doorway, the two of them stared into their room. Neither of them wanted to point out the matter at hand and neither of them dared suggest the obvious solution; that they sleep together. Even the thought of it sent a shiver down Ichigo's spine; he had nearly lost control when he saw her in her underwear, how would he cope with lying next to her as she slept?

Silently, Ichigo strode forward and tossed their two suitcases onto the object of their uncertainty and began unpacking. As he did so, Rukia followed suit, grateful for the distraction. Sliding the draw of the bedside cabinet closed with a thud, Ichigo sat on the bed for a moment, then lay down and stared at the ceiling. Rukia headed over to the sliding door at the far end of the room.

As she headed out onto the balcony, a cool breeze washed over Ichigo, rousing him from his contemplations. Looking over to the balcony, he saw that Rukia was standing there, grasping the guardrail tightly, her gaze focused on the full moon above her. Brushing the curtain out of the way, Ichigo joined her on the balcony; she seemed not to notice his presence. Newcastle was beautiful at night; the picturesque beach lying like a ribbon of gold stretched out before them. The dark waves of the night sea lapped at the shore, their sound was calming. Ichigo moved over beside Rukia, grasping the rail; it was cold to the touch, but the heat of their predicament was scorching.

Rukia bit her lip, she knew what she wanted to say; that she didn't mind if they slept together, but she couldn't muster the courage to do so. What would he think if she said so? Would he think that she had feelings for him, that she loved him? No, she couldn't risk it; she would have to find another way, but nothing came to mind.

She turned around to see what Ichigo was doing. Ichigo was on the phone, probably requesting another room. "Ah well," she sighed; "I guess that's the logical thing to do, but it would have been pleasant to sleep in the same bed, to feel his breath against the nape of her neck as they slept…" What was she thinking? She couldn't let her emotions get the better of her, especially not now when they were all alone together thousands of miles from home. Leaving the balcony, she strode through to the bathroom to splash some cold water on her face.

When she returned, she saw quite an unusual sight; Ichigo had removed the duvet and top sheet from the bed and was kneeling in the middle of the bed with a large pile of pillows beside him. Rukia looked on intrigued as he constructed a wall of pillows four courses high down the centre of the bed then returned the covers to their rightful place. She let out a surprised laugh at his novel solution.

Hearing her laugh, Ichigo turned to her, frowning; "It's the best I could do." He protested; "The place is fully booked and the few rooms they have with multiple beds are reserved for families with children. It's either this or nothing." Rukia smiled back at him approvingly; she did not want to seem to enthusiastic about sharing a bed with him, fearful that doing so would reveal her true feelings.

"It'll do;" she yawned, faking her tiredness; "let's just head to bed; I'm shattered after all that travelling." Heading over to the side nearest the balcony, she flipped the corner of the covers back then began to slip out of her dress.

"You're changing here?" cried Ichigo, his expression a mixture of surprise and dark desire.

"I'm not exactly changing;" retorted Rukia; "I'm just taking off my dress."

"Didn't you pack any pyjamas?" asked Ichigo anxiously, catching her meaning.

"You should know the answer; you took an inventory of everything I packed." Replied Rukia coldly.

"Why didn't you pack them?" retorted Ichigo, glossing over his error.

"You told me that it was very hot in Australia so I decided that I'd be too hot wearing them." Replied Rukia, wishing that he'd just drop it, she didn't see what the big problem was; it wasn't as if she were proposing to sleep nude.

"Did you even pack any for yourself?" she asked sharply. Ichigo dug out a set of pyjamas from his bedside chest of draws and held them up with a smirk.

"Why don't you just wear an old t-shirt?" Suggested Ichigo.

"I don't have one, why don't you loan me one of yours." Replied Rukia. Ichigo disappeared off into the bathroom, taking his pyjamas with him. A few minutes later he emerged, now in his pyjamas. Rukia still stood there awaiting an answer. He tossed the t-shirt that he had just taken off onto the bed.

"Will that do?" he asked grumpily.

"Don't you have any others?" asked Rukia.

"No, all the others are new; I only brought that old one to travel in." He said with a slight yawn as he slid himself between the covers.

"Then I guess it'll have to do." She pouted. Picking the t-shirt up from where it lay, she slipped it over her head.

As the folds of his still warm t-shirt slid over her petite form, clinging momentarily on her subtle curves, his hormones began to rage within him. He had not thought about what the sight of her putting on his t-shirt that he had just taken off would do to him. His heart was racing as she pulled her head through the neck wearing an innocent yet somehow mischievous smile. She casually flicked at the hem of the t-shirt to straighten it out, but his torment was not over yet; her arms reached around her back and a look of concentration flashed across her face as she fiddled with the unseen strap. Ichigo tracked the movement of the strapless bra through the fabric as it slid down her body and dropped to the floor. "Please let her stop there." Thought Ichigo pleadingly. She didn't. Bending slightly at the knees, she slid her hands under the hem of the t-shirt and found her waistband then slowly slid it down, stepping out of them as they reached the ground.

Slowly, she slid herself into bed and pulled the covers about her. Finally, now he could take his mind off her or could he? Why had she decided to take off her underwear? Was she trying to tempt him and, if so, why? Did she want him to make a move on her? Did she want him to break through the flimsy barrier that he erected and take her in his arms?

No, he could not, he would not. He would not abuse her trust, whether it was her wish or not; if anything were to happen between them, he did not want to force it or be baited or coerced into it. Relationships built on moments of passion all too often fell apart. He would not let that happen to them, he would not allow her to suffer any more.

Determinedly, he rolled over to face the wall and buried his face into his pillow. He would not allow his body's desires to overcome him, Rukia deserved better than that. The soft sound of her breathing as she slept filled his ears, he found it both erotic and relaxing at the same time; it felt as if his mind were tearing itself apart. He would get very little sleep that night.

The sun broke through the curtains the next morning and cast its amber glow across their room. Rukia stirred as she felt the sun's rays caress her face. Sitting up, she stretched and yawned. Opening her eyes, she sat there in stunned silence confused for a moment by her unfamiliar surroundings.

Suddenly, she felt something soft under her foot. Looking down, she saw the underwear she had taken off the night before. What had she been thinking? Ichigo must have known that she was nude under his t-shirt and yet he had not tried anything. Was she disappointed, had she wanted him to try something? No, she was not disappointed but glad; glad that he had controlled himself; glad that he cared enough for her not to take advantage of her. Certainly, it must have been hard for him. Today, she would buy some pyjamas and resolve the problem.

Looking over to Ichigo, she pulled his covers back slightly. As she did so she saw that he was clutching one of his pillows tightly to his chest, his legs curled up. Evidently, he had been fighting to keep control for most of the night, eventually falling asleep from exhaustion.

"I'm sorry, I put you trough a lot didn't I?" She whispered as she leant over him. Slowly, she inched closer, bringing her head closer to his. "Just one," she thought; "Just a little one, a morning greeting, nothing more." She edged still closer, she was mere inches from his face. She could hear his soft, even breathing as he slept. She edged even closer. "Please don't wake up just let, please allow me this one little bit of selfishness." Her nerves were on edge. Still she moved in closed. Three inches, two inches, one inch. It was now or never. She had no time to sit in contemplation. The opportunity lay before her, but would she seize it? Ever so gently, halting for only the briefest of moments, her lips grazed against his cheek.

Quickly and silently, she pulled away. Gathering up a change of clothes, she stole into the bathroom and locked the door behind her. Casting aside his t-shirt, she stepped into the shower and started the water. As the water ran over her, she let out a squeal of delight; she had really done it, she had really kissed him and he was none the wiser. She had gotten away with it. Just once, she had let her emotions take over; just once she had been true to her heart, true to herself. It felt unbelievably good, but at the same time a little painful as she knew she could not reveal how she felt about him until she was sure how he felt about her.

Ichigo awoke to find Rukia standing fully dressed on the balcony. After showering and changing, he joined her. "Did you sleep well?" He asked kindly. She nodded; her attention was on the crowds of people milling about on the beach below. "Shall we go to the beach?" suggested Ichigo with a smile. She smiled back at him and so, after heading down to the hotel's restaurant for breakfast, they found themselves standing in the foyer. If they were going to go to the beach, Rukia would first need a swimsuit.

"Excuse me, do you know of anywhere to buy a swimsuit near here?" Ichigo asked politely as he approached the receptionist's desk. She was busy, but she gave him directions to a suitable shop at 145A Beaumont Street. Heading outside, Ichigo called Bruce and asked him to pick them up at the front door.

As the luxury saloon glided to a halt before the hotel, Bruce rolled down his window; "G'day mates, where to?" He called from his window. After his parting words last night, they approached cautiously. Rukia and Ichigo slid into the back seat together as Bruce keyed the address Ichigo had given him into his satnav.

"So, did you sleep well?" asked Bruce cheerily as they came to a halt before a red light. Adjusting his rear view mirror slightly, he could see that they both looked tired, Ichigo more so. "I guess that hotel ain't all it's cracked up to be then." Sighed Bruce. Neither Ichigo nor Rukia wanted to tell him the real reason why they looked so tired, the real reason was far too embarrassing to share with anyone. Unable to think, they just sat there looking at each other, their eyes begging the other to say something.

Eventually Ichigo thought of something; "It wasn't the hotel, we were both jetlagged from the flight over; it should pass in a few days." Said Ichigo tiredly.

"Yeah, flying can really take it outta ya." Said Bruce as he pulled up before a church. "Here we are, I'm a little surprised you'd be coming to a church on a Tuesday." Ichigo looked up at the tall red brick building with white accents; "maybe I'll have a look inside since we're here." He thought as he stepped out of the car. Now onto more pressing issues; where was this swimsuit shop anyway?

Looking around, he saw nothing which seemed to be a clothing store, across the road stood a beauticians' and a corner shop. No clothing store. Crossing over, Rukia now following him, he decided that he'd pop into the corner store and ask. As he looked up at the corner shop's unassuming awning, he was dumbfounded, it read; "Cozzies Swimwear." He'd found it.

Looking through the window, he decided that there was no way that he'd go in with her. "Rukia," he said, handing her his wallet which contained their prize money; "you should be able to get a swimsuit here; just pick one that you like, I'm sure the staff will help you if you can't decide."

"You should have told me that I'd need one before we left, I could have borrowed one from Yuzu or Karin." Said Rukia, failing to see why Ichigo was now blushing hard.

"You can't keep borrowing Yuzu's clothes." Said Ichigo in a matter-of-fact tone; "Just head in and buy one, I'll wait out here."

Rukia frowned, she didn't see why he was so adverse to the idea of her borrowing his sisters' clothes; Yuzu herself didn't seem to mind. Nevertheless, she still needed a swimsuit if they were going to go to the beach so she headed into the shop.

Ichigo leant against the wall and stared into the cloudless blue sky. Why couldn't she see that seeing her in his sisters' clothes was subconsciously confusing for him? Did she not realize that her petite frame exemplified his dilemma so much so that he had almost confused her for Karin many times? Just seeing her dressed as one of his sisters was enough to create an emotional paradox; the outfit would trigger his strong fraternal instincts, yet seeing Rukia would trigger a flood of emotions and urges that were in direct opposition to his fraternal instincts. Thankfully, Rukia had not brought any borrowed clothes with her so, at least for these two weeks, he was safe from that emotional torment.

Ichigo strolled across the quiet street and walked up to the path to the door of the church. It was locked. "So much for having a look about." he thought sadly. Returning to the car, he got into the back once more. His emotions were running high; just wondering which type of swimsuit Rukia would pick was almost enough to drive him over the edge. "Bruce?" he asked haltingly; "Can I ask you for a little advice?"

"Depends on the topic, but if I can help, I will." Replied Bruce nonchalantly.

"What should you do if you have feelings for someone but you know that a relationship would be impossible?" asked Ichigo, his face growing more crimson with every syllable. He had no idea why he'd decided to ask Bruce. He guessed that he was just desperate to speak to someone about it. He felt like a drunk pouring out his soul in the back of a taxi on one of those cheesy reality shows.

"You're not talking about a family member are you?" asked Bruce in a strange tone halfway between concern and intrigue.

"Hell no!" retorted Ichigo angrily. Had his question really implied that?

"Relax, I was only joking." Laughed Bruce. "Do you truly love this person?" He asked; his tone more serious.

"Yes, at least I think I do. So what should I do?" asked Ichigo half excitedly half nervously.

"It's simple mate, you just tear down every barrier that stands in your way; let nothing keep you from her side." He said, smiling knowingly.

"Thanks, I guess you're right." Replied Ichigo quietly. "Can I ask you for a favour?" he asked hesitantly.

"Sure." Replied Bruce, knowing what he was about to ask.

"Don't tell Rukia about this conversation." Said Ichigo quietly.

"Not a word." Replied Bruce reassuringly, smiling contentedly; his prediction had been spot on.

Soon, the other passenger door opened and Rukia got in, holding a bag tightly in her grasp. She was blushing slightly. "What took you so long?" teased Ichigo.

"There were so many to choose from." Retorted Rukia with a slight smile.

"So, what did you choose?" he asked eagerly.

"You'll just have to wait and see." Replied Rukia with a smile.

Soon, they were back in their room at the hotel. Ichigo headed for one of the wardrobes and pulled out a pair of beach shorts and headed toward the bathroom. "I'll change in here; just give me a shout when you're ready." He said cheerily. Rukia nodded in agreement and he locked the door behind him. Ichigo changed quickly and sat on the edge of the bath.

His thoughts began to wander to what was happening on the other side of the door. What sort of swimsuit had she chosen; would it be a skimpy almost transparent bikini? His pulse began to race at the thought. He shook his head. No, Rukia wouldn't choose something so revealing; it was probably something similar to a school swimsuit. Well that wouldn't be so bad either. An image of Rukia's slender form encased in a school swimsuit dotted with rabbits entered his mind. This wouldn't do, he couldn't let himself get carried away. Although it was useless to deny his feelings anymore, he still wouldn't try to force them on her.

"Ichigo, I'm ready." Said Rukia, her voice sounded soft and hesitant. Ichigo opened the door and stepped into the room. Rukia was sitting on the bed, one leg crossed over the other, her sandal dangling by its strap from her toes. His gaze travelled up her naked legs to her waist. She wore a slim pair of black tieside pants. He could not help but wonder whether that knot on her hip was decorative or not; part of him longed to pull the dangling string to find out. As his eyes moved further upwards, they were met by the brim of her summer hat just above her navel. Slowly, she looked up and as the hat's brim rose, the rest of her slender form was revealed to him. Across her chest, she wore a strapless black twist front bandeau with a decorative bow in the middle.

Her eyes met his. She was nervous, uncertain and more than a little embarrassed but her eyes begged him for a response. Ichigo's jaw dropped in amazement. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought that she would pick something like that. It suited her well, too well in fact; the sight of her in such revealing attire was sending his hormones into frenzy and pitching a tent in his shorts. Was she really trying to tempt him again? He didn't know if he could take much more of her tempting. He had to say something to her, but what? He didn't want to give his true feelings away and, if at all possible keep her attention away from his shorts. "Why did you pick something like that?" he asked at last.

"Why, doesn't it suit me?" she asked, folding her arms.

"No, it suits you," stammered Ichigo; "it suits you too well. I mean, don't you think it's a little too revealing?"

Rukia blushed crimson. "Well, I don't know anybody here, so I don't need to worry about any rumours spreading." She replied haltingly.

"What about me? You know me, or didn't I figure into your calculations?" he asked hotly.

"No, I just don't mind being seen by you when I'm wearing it." She said flatly, blushing even redder as she spoke. Why had she been so blunt? Now he would certainly pick up on her emotions. She still wasn't sure how he felt about her. What would he do? She would have to find a way of taking his mind off it.

"Well, if you don't mind then I guess it's fine." Replied Ichigo glancing away, trying to settle his raging hormones.

It was too late; Rukia had noticed it. Normally, she would have ignored it but it was too good a distraction to pass up. "What's that?" she asked, pointing at his shorts.

"It's a natural reaction. It's not like I can help it. The thing has a mind of its own." Pleaded Ichigo, covering it with both hands, trying to force it back down. Of course, his efforts only served to excite it. He was blushing, both embarrassed and annoyed.

"It's alright," chuckled Rukia; "I'll do my best to ignore it. I know you can't help it." Nevertheless, Ichigo dashed back into the bathroom. A few minutes later he emerged, his shorts much flatter now.

"Alright, let's get going." He said as he grabbed a couple of towels from a drawer.

Rukia kicked off her sandals and tossed aside her hat as she stepped onto the beach, leaving Ichigo to gather them up. He felt as if he were with Yuzu or Karin as he watched her running blissfully along the beach. Ichigo sat down a few feet from the water's edge and placed one of the towels beneath his head as he lay back. The other, he placed beside him on top of Rukia's sandals. Looking up into the azure sky, he could not help but smile. He could not remember the last time he had felt so relaxed. "Ah, it was on that day." He sighed; "it was raining then, but Rukia was there too. It's hard to believe it's been so long since that day. I doubt I would be here today if she hadn't healed me back then."

The sun felt warm against his closed eyelids. He felt as if he could just melt away into the sands. As he lay there, he heard footsteps approach at a run then stop by his side. Half opening one eye, he looked over; Rukia had lain down beside him. As they lay there together, both found a peace that they had seldom felt before. "Rukia, what you think of the holiday so far?" asked Ichigo.

"I'm not sure really." she replied thoughtfully; "It's been a whirlwind of new experiences for me, it's a lot to process. It's been awkward and frightening at times, yet fascinating and wonderful at others. There is one thing I'm certain of though. I'm glad you're here with me. Without you, I doubt I'd have been able to get through airport security let alone make it onto the plane."

Ichigo looked over at her, she was smiling contentedly; her arms by her sides.

"Yeah, it's been quite the ride so far; it's nice to get a chance to relax at last." He said, rolling onto his side.

"I love this beach." Said Rukia suddenly; "The sand feels so warm and the sea breeze feels refreshing. I could lie here all day. It's so nice to be here without all the others. I enjoyed that day but I couldn't relax. I couldn't believe that Nemu had brought such weird watermelons with her; it sends a shiver up my spine just thinking about them."

"Yeah, I don't even want to know how they came up with those monsters." Sighed Ichigo. Rukia nodded and closed her eyes, drifting into sleep. "Ah well." Thought Ichigo as he rolled over to look at the sky once more, soon they were both sound asleep on the sand.

Ichigo awoke to a strange feeling. Looking down he saw that the tide was now lapping around his shins. Rukia still lay asleep at his side; the tide hadn't reached her yet. Just how long had they been sleeping there? He checked his watch; it flashed 5:45, they had arrived on the beach about one. Had they really been asleep there for over four hours? He shrugged, so what if they had, they were on holiday after all. Yet, they'd have to move soon or they'd be covered by the tide. He shook Rukia by her shoulder. She awoke with a yawn.

"Ichigo?" she said with a smile; "What is it?"

"The tide's coming in." he said bluntly, looking at the encroaching sea. Rukia looked at it in disbelief. She couldn't believe that they had slept so close together for so long. They had practically been touching. She really loved this beach now. She had to vent her pent up excitement somehow. Standing up, she ran into the calm sea.

Ichigo stood up and took the camera from his shirt pocket. "Rukia." He called and as she turned, he clicked the shutter. She was half silhouetted against the azure sky. He picked up their towels and her sandals then moved them further up the beach. After casting off his own shirt, he locked the camera's strap around his wrist then ran into the breaking waves. Rukia had already begun to swim further out to sea so he swam out to join her. The water was warm and peaceful; he was glad that the beach was so quiet, there would be no distractions, maybe now he could tell her how he felt. If only she would give him a sign.

Rukia was floating on her back when he reached her. She looked so peaceful floating before him, as all if her cares had been washed away by the warm water. "Rukia, let's take a picture together." He suggested. She smiled and swam next to him. Her wet hair was glistening in the light. Casually, he brushed her fringe away from her eyes. She looked even more beautiful now than ever before; her strapless black bandeau was all but invisible below the water, giving the impression that she was topless.

Looking over his shoulder, he positioned himself so that their hotel was behind him. Draping his arm over Rukia's bare shoulders, he pulled her in close and extended his other arm to point the camera at them. He took the shot. This time, the framing was perfect so he turned the camera off and began swimming once more, Rukia soon joined him.

The water was illuminated by the setting sun as they made for the shore. After towelling off, Ichigo reached down for his shirt, but as he did he saw Rukia reaching for her sandals, her hand was trembling; she was shivering. "Here, it's not that thick but it'll help." Said Ichigo passing her his t-shirt.

"Th-th-th-thank y-y-y-you." Replied Rukia through chattering teeth as she gratefully slipped into the t-shirt.

"C'mon, let's get you back inside." Said Ichigo with a smile as she slipped on her sandals. She nodded weakly and soon they were on their way back. As they passed through the reception, Ichigo grabbed a few brochures from a rack on one of the walls then joined Rukia in the lift.

Rukia sat shivering on the edge of the bed hugging her knees to her chest as the sound of running water filled her ears. Ichigo emerged from the bathroom in a cloud of steam. "It's ready, hurry up and get in; you need to get warmed up." He said, sitting down beside her.

As she disappeared into the bathroom, Ichigo changed into some fresh clothes. Lying back on the bed, he stared up at the ceiling. How could he make it work? How could he get past the fact that he was human and she was a shinigami? There had to be a way, after all, his father had managed it. Maybe he should just ask him how he managed it. No, just confronting him about his body being a gigai had gotten such a cold response, there was no way he would tell him how he managed to marry his mother. He would have to figure it out himself, no they would have to figure it out themselves; this was just as much a problem for Rukia as it was for him. He yearned to speak to her about it, but he could not do so until he was sure of her feelings. He would have to endure it for a little while longer. Lost in thought, he drifted off to sleep.

Rukia emerged from the bathroom feeling quite refreshed. "Ichi..," she tailed off noticing that he was already fast asleep. "Goodnight Ichigo." She said softly as she got into bed herself.

The next morning, Ichigo awoke before the dawn. Rukia was still sleeping peacefully on the other side of the pillow wall. Getting up, he walked around the bed and knelt by her side. Her expression was so peaceful. Her mouth was slightly open and he could hear her breathing softly. It was all too much. He had to do something to relieve his tension. Her lips looked so inviting. Moving closer, he decided to do it. What would it hurt? Just one kiss. She won't even know. He could now feel her breath on his own lips. His heart was racing. He'd have to be quick or she'd notice him and that would be unacceptable, or did he really want her to notice? At the last moment he shifted his aim; a kiss on the lips was just too risky. He gently gave her forehead one fleeting kiss then backed away. As he kissed her, he felt a strange feeling of satisfaction, almost as if he'd paid her back for something she'd done earlier. Had she already kissed him? There was no way of knowing and if he sat beside her much longer he was bound to get caught. He retreated to the balcony to watch the sunrise.

As he stood there, he read through the holiday brochures he had picked up the previous night. He wanted to take Rukia to Australia Zoo, but he'd need to speak to Bruce about it first as it was so far away. Today he'd have to think of something much closer at hand. He wanted something to do with animals as he knew how much Rukia loved animals, especially rabbits. He decided that he'd have to take her to see the kangaroos one of these days, but another brochure had caught his eye for today. It was a brochure for the Australian Shark and Ray Centre. He'd always liked rays and this place offered the opportunity to hand feed them. He would not pass this one up unless Rukia was dead set against it.

Soon, Rukia awoke. Stretching, she looked about the room; Ichigo was not there but the cool morning breeze rustling the curtains told her where he was. She too headed out onto the balcony to join him. "Good morning." Said Ichigo cheerfully as she stood beside him. "There's a place where we can feed sharks and rays not far from here; how does that sound?" He asked hopefully. She looked uncertain, standing there in one of his t-shirts; he knew that she probably wasn't wearing anything underneath it. Part of him wanted to make sure. No, he couldn't allow his urges to get the better of him. If he did that, especially here, on their balcony, Rukia would never forgive him; he would never forgive himself. He looked out to sea once more, trying to wash away his tempting thoughts.

Rukia took the brochure; she could not read most of it as her knowledge of English was limited, but what she could make out, though mainly from the pictures, was enough. "It seems interesting," she said; "let's give it a try; after all, when will we get this chance again? Shall we give Bruce a call or will we walk?"

"Yeah," agreed Ichigo; "I'll call him after breakfast."

Soon, they were driving once more through the streets of Newcastle. It was a short journey to the Centre, though the last leg took them down a bumpy and dusty dirt track. As they stepped out, they looked about for the Centre but only saw an unassuming farm building. They were definitely in the right place; Ichigo had seen their logo on the walls at the top of the dirt road. "Ah well, I guess appearances can be deceiving." He said quietly as he headed for the building. It was the right place; the logo was above the double doors at the entryway.

As he opened the door for Rukia, his nose was filled with the smell of fish. Heading up to the desk, he asked the receptionist for the price list. Everything seemed to be an extra and he ended up forking over 95 dollars. With a smile, the receptionist showed them to the locker rooms. Inside, Ichigo found a rail of wetsuits and waders in many different sizes. He was out again in minutes but there was no sign of Rukia. Taking a seat on the bench, he turned on the camera and took a picture of himself in the wetsuit. Still, after ten minutes, there was no sign of Rukia. He was getting a little worried yet he could not go to her aid; she was in the women's locker room after all. Eventually, he asked the receptionist to check on her.

Five minutes later Rukia emerged, although red with embarrassment, from the locker room. Heading into the main facility, they were met by one of the handlers who handed each of them a feeding pole and the buckets of food they had paid for at the desk. As they approached the edge of the pool, they got their first sight of the rays and sharks. There were many different species and they came in all different shapes and sizes; some were only about the size of a dinner plate and some were a few metres across.

Ichigo hopped into the pool and placed the buckets of food on the edge. Selecting a piece of octopus, he clipped it onto the end of his feeding pole and offered it up to a small shark nudging his leg. Looking up, he noticed that Rukia was still standing on the edge of the pool.

"I-I-Ichigo, I'm not so sure about this." She stammered, her eyes wide with fear as a five metre long shark swam lazily behind Ichigo. Rising her arm shakily, she pointed out the shark to him. Looking behind him, Ichigo noticed it and ran his hand along its back then offered it some food on his feeding pole.

"See, there's nothing to fear." Said Ichigo extending his hand to help her step in. eventually, she conceded and got into the warm water. At once, she was surrounded by a shoal of little rays and sharks. She clung nervously to Ichigo's arm, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I don't like it, they're everywhere; what if they try to attack?" she said waveringly.

Ichigo loaded her feeding pole and handed it to her. "They only want you to feed them. Go on, they won't hurt you." He said softly. Guiding her hand, he helped her feed one of the sharks. It rolled over on the surface as it took the food. "Go on, try touching it." Encouraged Ichigo. Gingerly, she reached out to the shark. Ichigo quickly took a picture as she touched the shark. It felt rough as she stroked it.

Suddenly, it bolted off to the other end of the pool, making Rukia jump back in fright. Ichigo caught her, expecting to feel her trembling with fear. To his surprise, she was laughing, actually laughing. He could not help but smile as the beautiful sound of her laughter reached his ears. "That wasn't so bad was it?" he said grinning at her. She shook her head and reloaded her feeding pole and offered it to another of the sharks nudging her leg.

Her fear now completely gone, she began wading deeper into the pool, taking a bucket of food with her. Ichigo, seeing that Rukia was okay now, turned his attention to the rays at his feet. They were both now meandering about the pool, feeding the shoals of sharks and rays; Ichigo taking pictures of them as he went. After a couple of hours, Rukia noticed a massive black shadow drifting toward her; it must have been six metres across. "Ichigo," she called, growing nervous once more. Turning around, Ichigo noticed it too. He recognized almost instantly that it was only Fred, the 100kg black ray, the star of the attraction. Rukia however had no idea that the fast approaching shadow was a friendly ray.

Rukia began to make her way back to Ichigo, but was making slow progress due to the shoal of hawk rays now gathered about her feet. Suddenly, she lost her balance and fell backwards into the water. Fred was only metres from her and sped up as she fell. Suddenly, something slapped Ichigo in the side of the leg; it was the tail of the five metre shark as it sped toward Rukia. Ichigo pulled off his right glove and spun his talisman ring around so that its talisman faced inward. Now at the slightest sign of trouble, he could transform into a shinigami and save her. He hesitated; he didn't want to kill the shark unless he had to, so he decided to wait until the last moment.

Suddenly, Rukia emerged from the water coughing and spluttering. Ichigo couldn't believe his eyes; Fred had swum underneath her and lifted her from the water on his back. Ichigo quickly aimed the camera and took a few shots. The gentle ray then tilted one of his fins and rolled to help her stand back up, Ichigo still snapping away in disbelief. The shark was busily snapping up the floating bits of food which spilled from Rukia's bucket.

Grabbing another two buckets from the side, Ichigo joined Rukia. "Here, I think Fred has earned a treat, don't you?" He said, handing her a bucket and her feeding pole.

Rukia nodded and offered a large piece of octopus to Fred. "Good boy Fred, good boy." Said Rukia warmly as she stroked the giant ray; "Thanks for helping me." She stood there concentrating on him for a while whilst Ichigo did his best to keep the other sharks and rays occupied. Eventually, Fred glided on, probably having had his fill of octopus.

Time was rolling on and closing time was fast approaching so they left the sharks and rays behind and changed out of their wetsuits.

"So, did you enjoy it?" asked the smiling receptionist.

"You'll never believe what happened." Said Ichigo enthusiastically, showing her the pictures he had taken.

"Ah, Fred's just a big softie isn't he?" she sighed; "Could you send us some of those photos if you have the time?" she asked hopefully.

"Sure." Replied Ichigo, taking note of the centre's email address.

Once outside, Ichigo called Bruce and asked him to pick them up. He was there promptly and soon they were well on their way back to their hotel.

"So, how was the centre?" asked Bruce casually.

"It was good, not as large as I thought it would be, but still good; but something unbelievable happened." Said Ichigo.

"Really?" asked Bruce enthusiastically.

"Yeah, Rukia fell over in the pool and this massive black ray helped her back up." Replied Ichigo excitedly.

"Crikey, you don't see something like that every day." Said Bruce.

"Yeah, I couldn't believe my eyes; I'm glad I had my camera with me, or my family back home would never believe me."

"How about we stop somewhere for some tucker?" suggested Bruce as he entered Newcastle.

"Sounds like a plan." Said Ichigo cheerfully, wondering what sort of place Bruce had in mind. Turning onto Hunter Street, he pulled up outside an Oporto fast food restaurant.

"This one's on me; be back in two ticks." Said Bruce as he hopped out of the car. It was just as well, this way Ichigo would not have to worry about translating the menu for Rukia or have to wait ages for her to make up her mind.

Soon, Bruce returned and handed a large paper bag back to them. "These Bondi Burgers are bonzer mate; you're gonna love 'em." Said Bruce as he took a healthy bite into his own burger.

Inspecting the contents of his burger, Ichigo noted it contained two fillets topped with cheese and a red sauce accompanied by a salad. Breaking off a piece of one of the fillets, he identified it as chicken. Now satisfied with his knowledge of its contents, he proceeded to devour it hungrily. It was truly delicious and, judging by her expression, Rukia thought so too. "We'll have to come here again and next time, it'll be on us." Said Ichigo firmly.

"Fair dinkum." Said Bruce in agreement as he drove off.

The traffic was light and they reached their hotel quickly. As soon as they were in, Rukia disappeared into the bathroom for a shower; the smell of the pool still clung to her hair. Ichigo changed and began gathering up their old clothes and towels. Once Rukia emerged from the shower, he gathered up the clothes she had left strewn about on the floor. "What are you doing Ichigo?" she asked as he stuffed her skirt into the bag he was carrying.

"I'm just going to take these down to the Laundromat, you can wait here. I shouldn't be gone too long. Rukia quickly pulled on the t-shirt she had been using as a nightie and lay back on the bed.

Reflecting on the day, she remembered seeing him pull off his glove as she fell. Why would he? Then it hit her, he must have been wearing his talisman ring. Would he really have turned into a shinigami there? What was he planning to do, would he have attacked the sharks and rays or would he have used shunpo to get her out of there? Either way, it would have been a huge risk; there would have been no way to explain his body suddenly going limp followed closely by fish exploding as Zangetsu ripped unseen through them. Even if he did not attack the fish, the force of his shunpo would have caused a huge splash and sent most of the smaller fish flying out of the water, not to mention the fact that it would appear to everyone else as if she suddenly levitated out of the water. She knew Ichigo was no fool and yet he was prepared to risk exposing himself for her; it was obvious that he cared greatly for her, but she could not be sure if he cared for her as a friend or something more.

Her head was spinning; they had been living together for three years yet these last two nights had been completely different. For those three years, that they had shared a room, she hadn't really felt anything for him yet now that they were sleeping in the same bed she couldn't get him out of her mind. She yearned to tell him how she felt. She longed to feel his strong embrace once more. The pain of uncertainty was tearing her apart inside. She needed to find out if he loved her as she loved him yet she could not bring herself to ask; she would have to wait until he made his feelings indisputably clear.

She hugged the rabbit he had bought her at the airport closer to her chest. Tears began flowing down her cheeks. "Ichigo, why won't you give me a sign?" she sobbed; "I can't take much more of this uncertainty. I don't care how, just let me know for certain how you feel about me. Please Ichigo, I can't wait much longer."

Ichigo returned an hour later carrying a basket filled with their freshly laundered clothes. Seeing that Rukia had fallen asleep, he put the laundry into the appropriate draws and wardrobes then changed for bed. He fell soundly into a dreamless sleep.

"Do you know a good place to see kangaroos?" Ichigo asked Bruce as they stepped into the car.

"Sure mate, there's a nice place on the other side of Sydney called Pebble Beach; shall we go take a look?" replied Bruce in his ever cheerful manner.

"Sure." Replied Ichigo, bucking his seatbelt.

As they cruised through the countryside, they were at first awestruck by the beauty of the landscape; Ichigo taking pictures every minute or so. Eventually as the miles wore on, they became accustomed to the scenery and, aided by the motion of the car, drifted into sleep. Bruce smiled to himself as he noticed them sleeping in his rear view mirror. They looked right together; Rukia's head rested on Ichigo's shoulder whilst his head rested on hers. Turning down the radio, Bruce forged ahead humming merrily to himself.

Ichigo awoke to find that they had stopped in a car park; he could hear traffic rushing by behind him and a strange roaring sound ahead and the pressure built up in his ears told him that he was at altitude; this was definitely not a beach. "Where are we?" he asked sleepily.

"We're about halfway there; this is Fitzroy Falls; it's really worth a look if you're up to it." Said Bruce as he opened his door.

Ichigo went to unbuckle his belt but his hand found something soft instead. Looking down, he saw that Rukia had fallen asleep on his lap. His cheeks coloured with embarrassment. What should he do; if he woke her as she was now, she would only be embarrassed. Gingerly, he carefully sat her back up then shook her awake. "Are we there?" asked Rukia, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"No, not yet; Bruce has pulled over to show us a waterfall; let's go and have a look." Said Ichigo excitedly.

"Yeah, I could do with a chance to stretch my legs anyway." Agreed Rukia.

They headed into the visitors centre; there were many postcards and trinkets on the souvenir stand. Picking a pair of hats with the waterfall on them and Fitzroy Falls written along the brim for Yuzu and Karin and a t-shirt for Isshin, Ichigo made his purchases and they headed on through to the viewing platform. As they stepped out of the visitor's centre, the roar of the falls filled their ears. As they walked along the path to the lookout point, the roar of the falls grew steadily louder. Finally, they arrived at the platform.

Rukia rushed up to the railing, her eyes wide with excitement. Looking over the railings, she saw the land fall away before her two cliff faces extended around on either side of her. Far below, she could see a blue ribbon of water winding its way through the forest below. Following the river upstream, she found a thick cloud of mist. Her jaw dropped in amazement as she found the waterfall. A pure white column of shimmering water falling endlessly down into the mists below. The sight was breathtaking. She felt a hand on her shoulder; it was Ichigo's.

"So, what do you think?" he asked. Her eyes were filled with amazement. Her expression was so cute that he could not help but take a photo. Turning his camera back to the falls, he waited for her response.

"It's beautiful; I've never seen anything like it. Thanks for bringing me here" She replied breathlessly.

"It's not me you need to thank; stopping at this place was Bruce's idea." Replied Ichigo flatly.

"Thank you Bruce, I like this place very much." Said Rukia haltingly, struggling to find the correct words, her command of the English language was mediocre at best.

"No worries." Replied Bruce with a smile. Rukia looked confused, why was he telling her not to worry?

"He means you're welcome." Interjected Ichigo, noticing her confusion. She smiled back at him and went back to watching the waterfall once more. After a couple of hours, they returned to the car; this was, after all, not their final destination.

Eventually, after nearly three hours on the road; they pulled into a large car park. "Well, here we are." Said Bruce stretching; "In my opinion, Pebbly Beach is the best place in New South Wales to see 'roos in the wild; these ones are the friendliest you'll lever find."

Heading down the path, Rukia looked up at Ichigo; he was smiling contentedly; just what was he planning, and what were these kangaroos anyway? "Ichigo, what are kangaroos?" She asked cheerily.

"You'll see soon enough, you're gonna love them." Teased Ichigo. Just then as they crested a hill, they got their first sight of the kangaroos. A whole mob was lazing in the sun at the water's edge. Rukia was about to break into a run but Ichigo stopped her. "Don't run up to them, you'll only scare them off. If we go down to the beach and ignore them, they'll eventually come up to us." Said Ichigo with a smile.

Soon, they were sitting near the water's edge; the calming sound of the rolling waves filled their ears. Ichigo lay back on the sand watching the great-winged petrels wheeling overhead.

Rukia sat bolt upright, staring at the mob of kangaroos in the distance. "Rukia, they'll never come over if you keep staring at them." Sighed Ichigo; "Just wait for them to come over in their own time." Eventually Rukia gave in and lay down beside Ichigo. Waiting was not so bad; the seabirds wheeling and spiralling overhead were captivating and the sun was beaming down on them.

Rukia awoke to a strange snuffling sound by her ear. Glancing over, she found herself face to face with a young joey. Sitting up, she noticed that Ichigo had his camera up to his face.

"Why didn't you wake me?" she asked crossly.

"I didn't want to disturb the kangaroos." He replied innocently.

Looking around, she saw that they had been met by not only by the joey but the whole mob; there were 'roos everywhere!

Rukia was grinning from ear to ear. Reaching out, she gently stroked the joey's head. It nuzzled her hand affectionately. Rukia let out a cry of pure delight and as one of the joeys licked her face, she began giggling like a schoolgirl. "They're so cute!" she exclaimed; "I wish we could take one of them home with us."

Getting up, she went over to one of the adults; it stood up to come face to face with her. Reaching out, it gently pawed Rukia's forearm. Rukia took a hold of its paw gently. "Look this one knows how to shake hands." She cried blissfully. Ichigo quickly raised the camera and captured the moment.

"You certainly do have a way with animals Rukia." He said cheerfully. She nodded in agreement, barely taking her eyes off the kangaroo. As one of the kangaroos came hopping by her, Rukia followed it eagerly. Behind Rukia, three of the joeys had also given chase. "Rukia, behind you." Called Ichigo laughing as he raised the camera. Noticing the three joeys, she stopped chasing the adult and turned toward the water. The three joeys followed her wherever she went, hopping along merrily in her wake as she splashed through the surf laughing merrily.

"I hope she doesn't go in too deep." Sighed Ichigo; he dreaded to think what Bruce would say if Rukia came back to the car soaked from head to toe. He wished that they'd brought their swimming costumes then she could swim all she wanted. He set the camera to video mode and zoomed in on the three joeys bouncing through the surf. Shifting his focus to Rukia, he saw such a beautiful expression of joy on her face. She was truly in her element, he wished that he could let her play with the kangaroos all day but they still had a six hour journey ahead of them and it was already nearly four already; they'd need to set off soon or it'd be midnight before they got back to the hotel.

Looking up, he saw Rukia charging toward him. "You've… you've got to try this." Panted Rukia breathlessly; "They'll follow you anywhere, they're so playful." The three joeys had stopped by her feet and were panting just as heavily as she was.

"You've worn them out." Said Ichigo pointing to the joeys just as one rolled onto its side.

"Aww, they look so tired." Sighed Rukia; struggling to catch her own breath.

"So do you," said Ichigo firmly; "it's time we headed back."

"What, already? We just got here." Protested Rukia.

"We've been here for over two hours and you're not thinking things through; we still have a six hour drive ahead of us, even if we leave now, it'll be ten before we get back. We have to think of Bruce, it's not fair to make him drive into the early hours of the morning just so we can spend a little more time with the kangaroos."

"I guess you're right." Said Rukia coldly. Clearly, she had wanted to stay longer; she'd probably stayed all night if he let her.

As they arrived back at the car, they found Bruce napping in the front seat. Ichigo was about to wake him when he noticed a fast food van parked at the far end of the car park. "Well, this way we can kill two birds with one stone." Said Ichigo as he strode over to the van. Scanning the menu, he realized in an instant that Rukia would have to be kept in the dark about the meat in these burgers. The van only served 'roo burgers. Nevertheless, Ichigo ordered three burgers with cheese, salad and a side of chips.

Bruce awoke with a start as Ichigo shut his door behind him. "How long was I out?" he asked groggily.

"Not sure," replied Ichigo; "I spotted the fast food van and got a late lunch for us; here's yours." Ichigo handed him a bag containing a burger and a portion of chips.

"Thanks mate, I was thinking about stopping off somewhere on the way back but this way is even better." Said Bruce cheerily. The drive back was long and uneventful; the darkness had claimed much of the landscape so there was nothing for them to do but fall asleep once more.

It was nearly ten by the time they pulled up in front of their hotel. Tiredly, Rukia and Ichigo stumbled out and waved as Bruce drove off into the night.

"I'm sorry we couldn't spend longer at the beach." Said Ichigo as he closed the door behind him.

"It's alright," sighed Rukia; "it wouldn't have been fair to Bruce." Ichigo stole into the bathroom to change as Rukia did the same in their room. "Alright Ichigo, I'm changed." She called as she got into bed. Ichigo plodded tiredly from the bathroom and slid himself between the covers.

As he lay there, his last conversation with Isshin before they left came to the front of his mind, specifically the part about his body not being a gigai. "Rukia, can I ask you something?" asked Ichigo, his voice betraying his embarrassment.

"What is it?" replied Rukia dubiously.

"Can a shinigami in a gigai have children?" asked Ichigo bluntly.

"Ichigo… just what are you planning?" asked Rukia half surprised, half excited.

"No, it's nothing like that." Spluttered Ichigo embarrassed by her implication; "It's just something O'san said to me before we left, it's just been bugging me ever since."

"So he wasn't making a move after all." Thought Rukia, a little disappointed. "No, gigai do not have that capacity; they were designed so that they couldn't procreate to prevent any complications for shinigami inhabiting them, whether desired or not." replied Rukia, somewhat embarrassed by the topic.

"If that's the case, how could my sisters and I have been born?" asked Ichigo.

"I don't know." Replied Rukia. That was a lie. She knew all too well what Isshin's body was. After all, it had been that very issue which she had been fighting with in her mind for the last two years. Though she was almost certain which course of action she would now take, she could not tell Ichigo, not yet. She needed to be sure of his feelings for her first. For if she told him of her plan too soon it would influence his decision heavily. She wanted him to be able to tell her how he felt from his own heart without any burdens placed upon him.

"I guess I'll speak to Urahara about it when we get back." Sighed Ichigo.

"Yeah, he'd be your best bet for information on it." Replied Rukia sleepily.

The next morning Ichigo awoke late but Rukia was still fat asleep. "That's weird; she's usually up quite early." He said to himself as he walked around the bed. He knelt down beside her; something was not quite right. She looked pale and her breathing was short and sharp. He placed his hand on her forehead; she was running her high fever. She'd seemed fine last night, how could this have happened so quickly? "Rukia, Rukia wake up." He said, shaking her by her shoulders, his voice was full of concern.

"Ichigo, what is it?" she said weakly.

"Are you alright?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm fine Ichigo," she replied; "you don't need to worry about me." Suddenly she began coughing uncontrollably. She looked up at him feebly, smiling weakly.

"You're not fine Rukia; you're running a fever, you look pale and now you're coughing. Stay here, I'm going to get help." He said.

"It's alright Ichigo, I'll be fine soon. Don't trouble yourself for my sake." Said Rukia holding onto his shirt sleeve.

"Nonsense; I could never forgive myself if anything happened to you." He replied firmly. With that, he broke free of her grasp and headed out the door, still in his pyjamas.

"He'd never forgive himself if anything happened to me?" thought Rukia as she lay there. Was this the sign she had been waiting for? No, it was not concrete enough; he would have said the same thing to his sisters if they were in her position. "Ichigo, why do you have to be so ambiguous?" She sighed, her tears falling once more as she slipped into an uneasy sleep.

When she awoke once more Ichigo had returned along with a man carrying a leather bag whom she assumed to be a doctor.

"So, let's have a look shall we?" said the man with the bag.

"If it's alright, I'll just wait outside." Said Ichigo.

"Yes that's quite alright." Replied the doctor. Rukia felt a little dismayed as he left her but she knew that, although he was not in the room, he would be monitoring her riatsu carefully from the hallway and would be through that door in an instant if anything felt amiss.

Ichigo was pacing nervously outside his room for nearly ten minutes hoping, praying that she'd be alright, that it would just be the flu or something trivial. Eventually the doctor emerged from the room.

"She doesn't say much does she?" he said jokingly.

"Never mind that, what's wrong with her, is she going to be alright?" asked Ichigo anxiously, pinning the doctor against the wall by his shoulder.

"Relax, she's going to be fine; she's got a spot of food poisoning but that should clear up in a day or two. I've given her some antibiotics. Besides the antibiotics, all she needs is rest." Replied the doctor casually.

"Are you sure?" asked Ichigo earnestly, releasing his grip on the doctor's shoulder.

"Positive; I see hundreds of cases like hers. They're mainly caused by undercooked food from street vendors and the like." Replied the doctor with a smile.

"Thanks, I owe you one." Replied Ichigo gratefully.

"No worries." Said the doctor as he took his leave.

So, for two days neither of them ventured outside the hotel; Rukia never really moved from the bed. Ichigo did go out for a stroll every now and then but never let the hotel out of his sight apart from when he headed to Missy Mou, the nearest ladies wear shop over on Hunter Street to get Rukia a nightie. Though he stuck out like a sore thumb and was blushing up to his earlobes he endured it and managed to get a floral patterned nightie for her. "I hope she likes it;" he thought as he left the shop; "I certainly do _not _want to go back in there." He shuddered at the thought. Thankfully, Rukia liked the nightie and he was spared the torment of another visit.

The morning of their seventh day in Australia dawned brightly and Rukia was fully recovered. Smiling, she stood on the balcony staring out to sea. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better." Said Ichigo cheerily as he joined her on the balcony.

"So, what are we going to do today?" asked Rukia, turning to sit on the balcony rail in front of him.

"Rukia, that's not a good idea, you might fall." Warned Ichigo.

"You worry too much." Laughed Rukia; "So, where are we heading?"

"There are a few places I have in mind." Replied Ichigo, still keeping a close eye on her. "There's the Stockton Sand Dunes and Blackbutt Reserve nearby or we could wander around Newcastle for the day. We could also go to Sydney or Australia Zoo, but that's quite far away. So, what do you think?"

"Blackbutt? Are you serious? Who'd give a reserve such a ridiculous name?" Sniggered Rukia.

"That's what it says on the map." Sighed Ichigo; "So, where do you want to go?"

"I like the idea of wandering around town; we may as well have a good look around since we're staying here. Besides, I don't feel one hundred percent yet so I'd like to stay close to the hotel just in case I take a turn for the worse."

"It seems you thought it through thoroughly." Said Ichigo.

"Of-of course; I'm not as impulsive as you." She replied hotly, her cheeks reddening a little."

"Then it's settled, I'll ask the receptionist for some advice when we head down." Replied Ichigo warmly.

Suddenly a gust of wind picked up and began to lift the hem of Rukia's nightie. Instinctively, she grabbed the hem and held it down but in doing so, she had released the rail. Suddenly she toppled backwards. "Ichigo!" she cried in surprise, reaching out for him as she began to fall.

Ichigo grabbed her outstretched hand and, bracing himself against the rail, pulled her back over the balcony. He pulled too hard and he lost his balance and fell back into their room. Rukia landed on top of him.

Dazed, Ichigo slowly opened his eyes. His body felt heavy, he could feel something holding his arms down. As his eyes refocused all he could see were Rukia's bright blue eyes staring back into his. Suddenly he was aware that he could feel Rukia's breath on his face, and he could feel Rukia's lips on his; they were kissing! As his face reddened, so did hers. Neither pulled away immediately; both secretly enjoying the fact that, although by accident, they were sharing their first kiss.

A.N.

I'm sorry that this chapter took longer than the others but I had to do a ton of research for it and that ate up my time. In this chapter I've continued to focus on allowing the reader to see events through their eyes. As I promised in my previous note, things have really heated up in this chapter ready, setting the scene for the next chapter; "True Feelings Revealed." I'll try not to keep you waiting as I know that you're probably eager to see their confession which will come at some point in the next chapter. Who will confess to whom? I'm afraid you'll just have to wait to find out.

As always, thanks to all those who have commented and encouraged me. If I haven't gotten around to replying to you, it is only because I have been putting my all into writing the Fic. In regards to the point Novicestar made on the last chapter about their knowledge of English; I'd intentionally left it ambiguous last chapter to see if anyone would pick up on it and now I can say that Ichigo has a very good grasp of the English language whilst Rukia only has a basic knowledge of it. That is why it is nearly always Ichigo that talks to Bruce and anyone else that they encounter.

One last thing, my profile page is finally complete and there are a few polls up. I encourage you to vote as doing so will help me steer the story in the way you want it to go.

Once again, thank you so much for reading Much More than Black and White. I'll see you next chapter.


	5. True Feelings Revealed

**Much More Than Black and White  
**

**Chapter ****Five: True Feelings Revealed**

Eventually, Rukia pulled herself up and leant against the balcony door. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to… to um…" stammered Rukia.

"To kiss me?" finished Ichigo; "I know. You just fell on top of me; you couldn't control how you landed." Added Ichigo, rubbing the back of his head.

"Yes, that's right." Agreed Rukia, her face still crimson; "It was just an accident, nothing more, you can't even call it a proper kiss really, our lips just bumped into each other, that's all." She knew she sounded stupid but she didn't care and it seemed like Ichigo didn't care either. Inside she was sorry that she could not work up the courage to confess to him there and then; to admit how much she had enjoyed that kiss, but she knew that she couldn't bear being rejected. Once more, she resigned herself to waiting, albeit with growing impatience, for a sign from him. Hopefully she would not have to wait much longer.

Ichigo still lay on the carpet staring at the ceiling in a daze. He could tell that Rukia was just as shaken by the kiss as he was but he couldn't be sure how she truly felt about it. He could still feel the warmth of her lips on his. He wished that the feeling could last forever.

No, this would not do; he couldn't stay there in a daze all day. He had two options; he could confess to her right here and now, or he could try to act as if nothing had happened and move on. He lay there lost in thought awhile but in the end he reached his decision. "Rukia…" he said quietly, rising to his feet.

"Y-yes?" she replied hesitantly, blushing crimson once more, her eyes filled with a mixture of anticipation and apprehension as she looked up at him.

"We should get ready if we're going to head out. Or would you prefer to remain inside today?" Asked Ichigo thoughtfully, walking over to the wardrobe.

"No, I'm alright, let's head out." Replied Rukia as she headed to her wardrobe to select an outfit, she certainly did not wish to remain in their room with the memory of that kiss weighing heavily on her. Ichigo ducked into the bathroom and changed into a t-shirt and board shorts. As he leant against the bathroom door, he could hear the sound of the silk of Rukia's nightie sliding over itself as she pulled it off. He knew that she was now standing nude on the other side of the door; just two thin plywood panels separated them. He yearned to pull the door wide and embrace her.

This was torturous; being so close to the one he loved yet being unable to hold her. As he listened, he could hear her soft footsteps on the carpet; they seemed rhythmic. Was she dancing? Why would she be dancing alone in their room? His ears must be deceiving him. Yet, if she felt the same way about him as he did about her would that not be reason enough? Yes, maybe, just maybe this was her way of expressing her pent up emotion.

He stood up and grasped the handle. If he opened the door now, he could confirm his suspicions and her feelings in one moment. His hand trembled, rattling the handle slightly and his heart pounded hard in his throat. He hesitated; he knew that he could not handle another scene like the one he encountered the day before they left. If he saw her in the nude or in her underwear now he would be unable to stop himself; his urges would undoubtedly take over and he would take her there and then in a fit of passion.

His hand slid from the handle as he exhaled slowly. He could not allow that to happen; she deserved better than that. He cared too much for her to allow himself to take advantage of her. He began pacing up and down behind the door like a caged tiger. As he paced back and forth, he could not help but wonder how she really felt about him; he was almost sure that she felt strongly for him, but as what he was unsure. If she cared for him as a brother or as a student, or even as a close friend, she would no doubt reject him if he confessed to her. However, if she truly loved him, she would surely accept him; but was he willing to risk it? This decision was too much for him; he sat on the edge of the bath, cradling his head in his hands. "Should I or shouldn't I?" he mused quietly to himself.

"Ichigo, I'm… I'm ready." Called Rukia from the other side of the door, her voice sounded soft and hesitant. As he opened the door, his eyes fell on an unbelievable sight; Rukia was standing before him completely nude, her face crimson. "Ichigo..." she said quietly, taking a step towards him: "I've been waiting and waiting for you to make a move for days and days but you wouldn't make one." She took one hesitant step towards him; "You've left me with little choice other than to take matters into my own hands and make the fist move. I love you Ichigo! I've always loved you, ever since the day you rescued me from the Soukyoku. I can't stop loving you, no matter how impossible the relationship between us may be." She placed her hands on his shoulders; he could feel that she was trembling.

"I want you to accept me Ichigo; I _need_ you to accept me. Accept all that I am and take me as your own for I can't live without you." Her voice was wavering but determined as she spoke. She embraced him tightly, pressing herself against him. Tears were flowing in rivulets down her cheeks as she looked up into his eyes. Raising herself up on tiptoes, she mouthed his name, looking pleadingly into his eyes. Her mouth was half open just begging to be kissed, her short and sharp breathing sounded so seductive to him. He embraced her tightly and opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. Lowering his head, he slowly closed the distance between their lips, his heart beating faster with every passing second, yearning for the moment he would feel her lips on his once more.

"Ichigo, aren't you ready yet?" Rukia sounded slightly annoyed. Looking down once more, he saw only the bathroom floor. Had he fallen asleep or had he been daydreaming? Why had he had such a daydream anyway? Looking down, he saw that his fantasy had had quite an effect on his trousers. He shook his head violently. "There's no way Rukia would confess to me like _that_, it was so bold that it was ridiculous." He thought embarrassedly.

"I'll be out in a few minutes Rukia." He called as he began pacing once more; he could hardly go out there whilst he was pitching a tent. Eventually, it settled down and he headed back into their room.

"What took you so long?" asked Rukia impatiently; "You were in there for over an hour." Ichigo's face was crimson. "Just what were you doing in there anyway?" she added with a smirk.

"Nothing, I just fell asleep." Replied Ichigo dismissively, trying to avoid eye contact. "Anyway, let's get going; we don't want to waste the day." Said Ichigo, trying desperately to change the subject.

"Alright." Said Rukia grabbing her hat and making for the door. That elevator ride seemed to take forever; the atmosphere between them had grown so heavy. How could one little kiss have caused so much uncertainty? Rukia stared up at the numbers, drumming her fingers on her elbow impatiently. She could not bring herself to say anything to Ichigo; she feared that she may betray her true feelings if she spoke carelessly and she was still determined to wait for Ichigo to make the first move. Ichigo on the other hand could not look at her for each glance brought his daydream to the forefront of his mind.

The doors slid open and they stepped out into the foyer. He grabbed a few brochures from a rack sitting by the door as they passed the receptionist's desk. He flipped through them as he headed out into the cloudless morning. Turning left, Ichigo headed along the winding esplanade, Rukia following closely behind him. As they walked along with the sun beating down on their shoulders, Rukia stared wistfully out across the calm waters as they walked on. Ichigo didn't really know where he was going but he was happy enough just strolling along enjoying the scenery. The sound of the waves was soothing and as there was not much traffic about he could hear it clearly but he soon became all too aware of another sound; the soft sound of Rukia's footsteps as she followed along behind him. He focused on the sound despite himself; he could easily tell when something had caught her attention as she would slow for a moment then jog to catch up.

He smiled to himself as he remembered their time on the beach. "I guess she's hoping to go there again, she just won't stop glancing back at it. Ah well, I guess we'll head there again at some point, but probably not today." Suddenly he felt himself blushing as he remembered Rukia in her bikini. No, he could not cope with seeing her in it today, especially after that daydream. Looking up at the hill rising beside him, he noticed that there was some sort of fortification at its summit. Looking ahead, he noticed that the road seemed to curve around behind it. Suddenly he felt a tug on his shirt. He stopped dead and Rukia bumped into him.

"What is it Rukia?" He asked, turning to face her but she was looking toward the other side of the road. Following her gaze he noticed that her hat was blowing across the road. He sprinted off after it but the wind kept blowing it along just as he tried to grab it. Rukia could not help but laugh at the sight of Ichigo pouncing at her hat whilst it playfully dodged his grasp. Eventually he managed to catch it and, straitening up, walked back over to her. "Here, try to keep it on your head this time." he said gruffly as he handed her hat back, still avoiding eye contact.

"Baka! It's your fault." Replied Rukia hotly; "you knocked it off when you stopped suddenly." She was pouting slightly as she straightened the brim of her hat. "Aww, just look at it, this thing's all battered now." She added dejectedly.

"No need to make such a fuss over it. We'll just get one from somewhere in town." Huffed Ichigo; secretly pleased to be talking with her again. "So what did you want anyway?" he added, remembering how the whole incident had started.

"I just wanted to know where we were going." She said flatly. Ichigo shrugged, he still hadn't yet figured that out himself. Rukia looked about and noticed the fort Ichigo had been looking at earlier. "Then why don't we have a look at that place; at the very least we'll get a better view from up there and be able to decide where to go next." Said Rukia, pointing at the fort. Ichigo agreed and they set off up the winding road.

When they reached its summit Ichigo noticed a sign reading Fort Scratchley. Heading into the fort, Ichigo headed to the parade grounds and, noticing a bench said; "You seem a little tired Rukia, let's sit down for a bit."

Rukia nodded in agreement and took a seat. Looking at her, Ichigo could see that she was tired and a little pale; evidently she hadn't fully recovered yet. He noticed a stall at the other end of the parade grounds and headed over to it leaving Rukia resting on the bench. Noticing a sign advertising guided tours, Ichigo turned back to get Rukia and join the next tour but he stopped again after a few steps. "Maybe taking her on a tour wouldn't be such a good idea after all." He decided; partly because she was tired but mostly because he did not feel up to translating everything the guide said.

As she sat there her thoughts drifted back to that morning. She began to wonder if she was truly doing the right thing in waiting for Ichigo to make the first move. "What if he was thinking the same thing?" she thought with a slight smile. If he was, that would lead to a stalemate; each of them in love but too afraid of rejection to confess. She was letting her fear get the best of her and all it was doing was causing her, and almost certainly Ichigo, to suffer needlessly. Surely the momentary pain of rejection would hurt less than this constant uncertainty and that was only _if_ Ichigo rejected her. She couldn't let this go on any longer. When Ichigo came back she would ask him how he felt about her. "Then again, this may not be the best place for it, he'd probably be too embarrassed to answer me properly here; I know I wouldn't be able to give him an answer in such a crowded place." She thought blushing slightly. She sighed heavily; she'd have to wait for a more private location.

Just then, Ichigo came back carrying two drinks. He passed one to Rukia, it was a strawberry milkshake. "Thanks." She said quietly, taking a sip. "I'm feeling much better now so shall we have a look around?" She suggested, smiling brightly. Ichigo nodded, still trying to avoid eye contact. "Just what's going on with him?" thought Rukia; "Is he annoyed with me and if so why?" Her thoughts on this distracted her as they walked around the fort but as they walked past one of the gun batteries to look over the bay Rukia had an epiphany.

Looking down into the bay she noticed a long harbour wall stretching out to sea. That would be the perfect place for her to confront him; she certainly could not easily find a more isolated spot. Just then she noticed something leaping from the water just beyond the end of the wall. This was just too perfect; she had found the perfect location and now she had been given a perfectly innocent excuse to go there. "Ichigo, what are those things jumping out of the water down there?" she asked cheerily, pointing them out.

"I can't tell too well from up here but I think they're whales" He replied without taking his eyes off the whales.

"Shall we go down there and get a closer look?" suggested Rukia. Ichigo agreed and they headed down a steep and winding path which returned them to the esplanade. Instead of heading along the road they headed onto the beach, the water was calm and the waves were lapping gently at the shore as they walked along the golden sands. Rukia looked over to where she had seen the splashes from the fort; all seemed quiet. "Ah well, as long as Ichigo doesn't notice, otherwise he'll probably turn back to town." She sighed. Looking over at him, she could see that he was looking down at his feet. He certainly seemed preoccupied, but she couldn't figure out what it was.

As they headed out onto the harbour wall Rukia ran ahead, her excitement and nervousness getting the better of her. She turned at the end and, waving at Ichigo, called disappointedly; "It seems that they've gone away. Where do you think they've gone?" Just then she noticed a shadow pass over her. Looking up, she saw the massive underside of a humpback whale leaping over her. She shivered as cold sweater splashed down the back of her neck. Looking back at Ichigo, she noticed that he'd taken out his camera. She smiled back to him and called him over.

"That was unbelievable." He said breathlessly as he showed her the photos he'd just taken. Rukia looked at them in disbelief. Due to the perspective, it looked as if she was stroking the whale's underside as it leapt overhead and the pictures were crystal clear. His reflexes must have been fast indeed to capture those shots so well. She looked up at him; he was smiling brightly back at her; distracted, for the moment, by their encounter with the whale.

This was the perfect chance; they were alone in the midst of the rolling sea at the end of a harbour wall and she had his undivided attention. "I-I-Ichigo…" she began, her voice hesitant. He just looked into her eyes smiling. To her it felt as if he were staring into her very soul. Her hands were trembling, she felt herself blushing. Could she do it? She forced herself to continue. Once more she spoke up; "Ichigo do you…" she tailed off once more. She could feel her heart racing away. She felt a lump in her throat. Her nerves were getting the better of her. "One more try." She thought as she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Ichigo do you… do you think you could take a picture of us together on the end of this harbour wall?" he just smiled and nodded. Putting his arm around her shoulder, he pointed the camera towards her. She smiled cheerily and he pressed the trigger.

"Rukia you fool." she thought angrily as they headed back along the harbour wall; "How could I have bailed out on it like that? I've never backed down from anything before, not even once, so why now? Why with him? Why can't I tell him how I feel? Am I really so scared of being rejected by him?" A silent tear trickled down her cheek as she walked along. As it glistened in the sunlight it caught Ichigo's eye.

"Rukia, what's wrong?" he asked sympathetically.

"Nothing, some sand got in my eye, that's all." She lied, wiping her eyes to drive her point home. There was not even a slight breeze that day so her lie was obvious but Ichigo took no notice; he knew that she didn't want to talk about whatever it was right now; he'd just have to wait patiently for the truth. Finding themselves back in town, they headed towards Hunter Street, drawn to it more out of the familiarity of the street name than anything else. As they strolled up the street Rukia noticed a ladies' boutique called Sazzy; there was a display of summer hats and dresses in the window.

"Go ahead," encouraged Ichigo; "I'll wait outside." He handed her his wallet once more and watched her disappear into the store. "I wonder how much lighter that wallet will be this time." He sighed as he checked his watch; it was nearly noon. Looking along the street, he recognized where he was; the Oporto from which Bruce bought them some burgers was right on the corner.

About an hour later, Rukia emerged from the boutique with her arms full of bags and a big grin on her face. "Looks like you bought most of the shop there Rukia. We've only got six days left in Australia; I doubt you'll get a chance to wear all of those." Said Ichigo as she dropped the bags at his feet.

"They're not all for me." Replied Rukia scowling; "I got some souvenirs for Yuzu and Karin." Ichigo laughed and picked up half of the bags, leading her toward the Oporto restaurant. "Wait, have we been here before?" asked Rukia as she noticed the bright orange sign.

"Yeah, Bruce got us some food from here after we came back from the shark and ray centre. So, shall we go in?" asked Ichigo cheerfully. Rukia nodded in agreement and they headed in and found a free table. Ichigo picked up a menu and smiled; the menu was embellished with pictures of each item so he shouldn't need to translate anything for Rukia. He'd already decided on the Otropo burger and was just waiting for Rukia to make her mind up. Looking around, he saw that the restaurant was quite quiet and besides them, there were only a few other tables occupied. Eventually, Rukia decided on the chicken strips with a garden side salad.

Once Rukia had told him what she wanted, Ichigo headed over to the counter to order. As he turned to return to their table he noticed a little boy running around the restaurant. "Energetic lad." He thought with a smile as his eyes followed him on his merry dash. Suddenly he disappeared from sight just in front of their table and seconds later his ears were met by the sound of cries. Looking over at their table, he noticed that Rukia was now kneeling by the boy, having just helped him back onto his feet and was dusting him down. Her expression was so gentle and kind that Ichigo found himself smiling warmly and as he watched her he could not help but think how motherly she looked right now. His cheeks reddened as he made his way back to their table and sat down across from Rukia.

"What is it Ichigo?" she asked, seeing his reddened face.

"It's nothing." He replied; "Well, it's just that you looked so beautiful when you were helping that kid, that's all. How did you manage to comfort him anyway? I mean, your command of English isn't that great, so what did you do?"

"Some things transcend words and language barriers. He may not have understood exactly what I said, but I'm sure he caught the meaning of my words." Said Rukia, smiling contentedly.

"I guess you're right. Still, I was surprised how well you handled that." Confessed Ichigo.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Rukia with a frown.

"I was just surprised that you were so good with him, I just never thought you'd be so good with children." Replied Ichigo flatly.

"Well, I've had plenty of practice." Replied Rukia with a slight smile. Ichigo's eyes widened in a comical expression of surprise and dark intrigue. Seeing his confusion, she clarified; "Not all spirits are adults; I've performed konsos on a great many children and almost invariably they need calming down first. You should have realized this by now, or have you forgotten that child in the park or Yūichi Shibata?" Ichigo smiled as he remembered Yūichi. Just then their food arrived and he thanked the waiter then tucked into his burger. Rukia on the other hand was in a daze; she couldn't believe what he'd said, he'd actually called her beautiful.

"Well, that certainly hit the spot." Said Ichigo, stretching as they left the restaurant. "So, where to next?" He asked, turning to Rukia.

"The assistant in that boutique told me about this historic swimming pool cut into the rock near the beach. I think it could be worth a look, though I don't feel like going in today." Replied Rukia happily.

"Alright, so which way do we go?" asked Ichigo.

"We need to find Wolfe Street, it crosses Hunter Street, it shouldn't be too far." Ichigo nodded and they headed off down Hunter Street. Soon they found Wolfe Street and turned onto it. Almost immediately, Rukia noticed yet another clothing store and ran over to have a look in the window, leaving Ichigo with all of her bags. "Ichigo, look at this one, don't you think it'd suit me?" asked Rukia pointing to a flowing black dress covered in swirling patters made up of white butterflies like leaves blowing in the wind. Ichigo didn't answer; his eyes were fixed on the store's sign, his cheeks reddening slightly.

"Well Ichigo, what do you think?" asked Rukia sternly.

Ichigo snapped his eyes away from the sign and replied; "Well it looks nice but didn't you notice the store's sign?"

"I couldn't understand it," replied Rukia flatly; "Why do you ask?" Ichigo blushed even more. "What's wrong Ichigo?" asked Rukia, trying not to laugh.

"Um, it's a maternity store." Replied Ichigo; "It's a store for women who are um, well pregnant to put it bluntly." Now Rukia's face reddened. "So, do you still want to get it?" asked Ichigo reaching for his wallet. She shook her head and returned to his side, too embarrassed to speak. As they started once more along Wolfe Street; he could not help but imagine her in that dress, he began to wonder what kind of mother she would be.

As they walked on, Wolfe Street just got steeper and steeper, so much so that after about ten minutes of climbing Ichigo was wondering if they were heading the right way at all. Leaning against a tall white fence, he turned to Rukia; "Are you sure this is the right way? Isn't this meant to lead down to the sea, yet it keeps climbing higher and higher." He asked.

"I'm beginning to feel the same way, but the woman said that Wolfe Street went up a hill, then turns to meet Reserve Road, which we should follow into the park." Replied Rukia uncertainly, looking up to Ichigo, her eyes imploring reassurance from him.

"Alright, let's go then." Said Ichigo smiling; he could see that his question had made Rukia doubt the directions and made her a little uneasy. Even if they were on the wrong path, he'd find a way to that pool without her realizing that she'd had the wrong directions. Thankfully, as they turned the corner Ichigo could see the park and through a gap in the trees, he could see the sea. As they reached Reserve Road, Ichigo could see the entrance to the park off to the left and crossed over.

"Since we're here, why don't we look around a bit?" suggested Ichigo as they entered the park. Rukia agreed and they turned off onto the grass and meandered through the trees until they found a path which led them to an array of flowerbeds. The beds were laid out in bright summer colours and made up of a vast variety of flowers.

Rukia stopped suddenly, her eyes fixed on one of the beds. "What is it?" asked Ichigo. No response. Following Rukia's gaze to a patch of Madonna Lilies and Ghost Flowers. As he watched the flowers, he noticed that a group of them were twitching periodically as if something was amongst them brushing against their stems. Suddenly, the flowers began to part one after another as if something was pushing through them. The flowers parted in a meandering path that turned sharply every now and then. As it reached the edge of the bed, a rabbit shot out a few metres from them holding a Ghost Flower in its mouth. It stopped for a moment and looked at them, standing on its hind legs. After a few moments the rabbit bounded off once more. "I knew it!" smiled Rukia; "I thought I saw his ears sticking up in the middle of the bed as we approached. I wonder why he'd take a single flower away from the bed rather than eating it there." She added.

"Maybe it's a present for his girlfriend." Joked Ichigo. Rukia laughed but as her eyes met his she blushed and turned away. As she dashed off following the rabbit, Ichigo felt that she was trying to hide her feelings for him. "She must be feeling exactly the same as me." He thought as he picked up the bags once more and followed Rukia.

Noticing a length of rope on the floor, he fashioned a loop at one end then slipped the other though all of the handles of the bags then through the loop. He then tied the loose end around his shoulder. Now he had his hands free again, he began photographing the flowerbeds and the more exotic trees in the park. Rukia had lost sight of the rabbit under a shrub and was on her hands and knees trying to spot where it had gone to. Click, Ichigo pressed the shutter and, smiling walked over Rukia.

"He probably has an entrance to his warren under there; I doubt he'll come out any time soon." Said Ichigo cheerily.

Straightening up and dusting herself down, Rukia turned to him, he could see that she was disappointed. "I suppose you're right." She said sadly; "Well, let's get going, that pool should be near here." She added with a slight smile. Ichigo agreed and they set off across the grass. Though they had found the path once again, they just could not find the pool. "This is hopeless." Sighed Rukia after ten minutes of meandering through the park. "The pool is right on the shore, so let's just make for the sea as straight as we can." Ichigo agreed and they made their way over the lawns and though the trees toward the sea.

"I see it!" exclaimed Rukia, turning to face Ichigo; "It's right below us." She was right, but by 'below' she meant at the bottom of the near vertical cliff which she now stood on the edge of. Only a path about four metres below her interrupted the sheer drop to the rocky shore.

Ichigo approached and looked over the edge and looked over. "Hmm, there seems to be a path down there, we need to get down to it somehow." He said thoughtfully; "It seems to climb slightly towards the left, so if we follow the cliff to the left, the path should eventually meet with the cliff."

Rukia turned again and stepped right up to the edge to look along the path but as she did the loose soil under her broke apart and gave way, causing Rukia to lose her footing. As Ichigo noticed her begin to fall, time seemed to slow to a crawl. Instinctively, Ichigo leapt after her and pulled her close to his chest and rolled mid-jump so that she was on top of him. All the blood had drained from her face and her eyes were wide, her mouth agape with her lip trembling. As she looked into his eyes, all she could see was calmness. It was obvious to her that he had no regrets about leaping off the cliff to save her. A slight smile spread across his face as they fell, his whole expression was kind and peaceful. How could he be so calm knowing that they had just fallen from the cliff?

He hit the ground hard, so hard that he lost consciousness, still wearing the same contented smile, his arms slid from Rukia's back and flopped limply to his sides, bouncing slightly on the rocky path. As she opened her eyes, Rukia saw Ichigo lying motionless below her. She knelt there astride him staring on in disbelief. Her arms dropped to her sides. "No! Not again," she whispered weakly; "I don't want to lose you like I lost him. I won't. I just won't allow it." Looking into his half open eyes she spoke up once more, her tears running in rivulets down her cheeks and splashing on his shirt; "I can't lose you now. Not now, not when I've finally realized my true feelings for you. I love you Ichigo, do you hear me? I love you! I need you Ichigo! Don't you dare leave me now!" she lowered her head to his chest and placed her ear above his heart. "Good, his heart is still beating and he's still breathing." She thought, straightening herself up once more.

"Oh Ichigo, why can I only tell you how I truly feel when you're lying unconscious?" She whispered; "Could you even love a nervous girl like me? A girl who isn't true to herself and can't even confess her feelings to you. I'm pathetic aren't I?" She laughed at herself a little under her breath. "No, right now I don't care how you feel about me, I just want you to be alright." She said firmly, grasping him by his shoulders; "Wake up Ichigo! Just wake up. How will I ever face your father if you die here? What would I tell Yuzu and Karin? Would I tell them the truth; that you died protecting me? I couldn't do it, I couldn't live with myself if you died here; I'd never forgive myself."

Her tears falling silently, she waited, still kneeling over him. Her heart told her that he'd pull through and she was determined to wait for him to wake up, no matter how long it took.

Two hours had passed and there had been no change in his condition, doubt had begun to crawl into the corners of her mind. She knew that he was breathing yet she didn't know how long it would be until he awoke. "What if he never wakes up?" she thought; "He'd be stuck forever in a coma and it'd be my fault. Why now anyway? He's been through a lot worse than this and pulled through so why was he still out cold?"

She slapped him across the face; "Wake up Ichigo!" she shouted; "You've slept for long enough! Get up! Don't let this beat you! Wake up baka!" She raised her hand once more, but as she did, Ichigo groaned and slowly opened his eyes.

"How long was I out?" He asked groggily.

"It's been over two hours since we fell." Replied Rukia flatly.

"Well, at least you're okay." He said, smiling weakly up at her.

She slapped him again; "Baka, don't worry about me, worry about yourself;" She said sharply; "you landed hard and you've been out cold for two hours."

"I'm fine." Said Ichigo reassuringly and began to sit up but as he did, he groaned in pain and fell back down, scraping most of the skin from his elbows in the process.

"See, you're nowhere near fine." Said Rukia flatly. Getting up, she knelt by his side and slid her arm under his shoulders. "Here, let me help you." She said comfortingly; "Just take it nice and easy. The hotel isn't far." Slowly, inch by inch, Rukia helped him to sit up and then, after picking up the bags which Ichigo had tied together and securing the rope over her shoulder, she knelt by Ichigo's side, rested his arm across her shoulders and helped him onto his feet. "Okay, now let's just follow this path back to Shortland Esplanade and then back to the hotel. Just lean on me if you need to." She said as she looked up at him smiling. He smiled back weakly and they set off, albeit slowly, for the hotel. As they moved off, Rukia noticed a sign next to a set of steps leading down to the pool which read "The Bogey Hole." "So close and yet so far." She thought, chuckling slightly at the name.

"Thanks." Said Ichigo weakly; "Thanks for staying with me back there on the cliff."

"You would have done the same thing for me." She replied; "Though I guess you'd have carried me back to the hotel. Unfortunately, I couldn't carry you in this gigai so waiting beside you was the best that I could do." she looked away as she tailed off.

"It's alright," laughed Ichigo; "I'm not angry that you couldn't carry me back to the hotel, I wouldn't have expected you to do so; though you have to admit, it would have been quite a funny sight to behold."

Rukia laughed in agreement. Looking up, she noticed the hotel up ahead in the distance. "Not far now." She said encouragingly. Ichigo said nothing, only smiled weakly back at her.

"What on earth happened to you two?" Cried the receptionist in shock as she saw Ichigo and Rukia stagger in through the front door. She rushed over to them, knocking over her waste paper basket in her haste as she arose from her desk. "He seems pretty badly injured, should I call an ambulance?" She asked when she saw the numerous tears and red patches on the back of Ichigo's shirt and the red lines running down the back of Rukia's otherwise white dress.

"That won't be necessary." Said Rukia tiredly but firmly; "Although it may look bad, he has suffered only minor lacerations and a few shallow puncture wounds; they just need cleaning, disinfecting and binding. I live at a clinic and I'm more than capable of treating wounds of this level, although I will need some supplies. Do you have a first aid kit available?" She asked kindly. This was not a complete lie; she had helped Isshin in the clinic from time to time and at Isshin's request, she had also learnt some medical related English just in case she was working on someone who didn't understand Japanese

The receptionist shot off to a cabinet behind her desk and withdrew a bright blue box from a rack. "Here," she said, handing Rukia the box; "I have more here, so you don't need to return it quickly. If you need more supplies, just call down and I'll send a porter up with whatever you need." Rukia thanked her and headed toward the elevator.

She slid the loop of rope off her arm as soon as they were inside, dumping her bags behind the door. Placing the first aid kit on the bedside cabinet, she led Ichigo into the bathroom and filled the sink with warm water. "Alright; take your shirt off." She said firmly.

"But I…" protested Ichigo.

"No buts; take off your shirt and sit on the edge of the bath facing away from me, I need to clean these cuts up before I can begin to heal them." Said Rukia even more firmly. Reluctantly, Ichigo took off his tattered and bloodied shirt and cast it aside. Taking a facecloth from the rack above the sink, soaked it in the warm water, wrung it out and began to clean the myriad of cuts and gashes on Ichigo's back and arms. Ichigo winced a little as she cleaned some of the deeper gashes but she did her best to ignore it and carried on with her task. Once she had cleaned them up, she applied an antiseptic to them then a styptic to the wounds that were still bleeding.

"Alright, that takes care of that." Said Rukia wiping her brow; "Now to take care of the rest of your injuries. Ichigo, go lie on the bed, this will take a lot longer than simply cleaning your wounds so you'll be better off lying down." Ichigo complied silently and lay face down on the bed. Rukia knelt beside him and began to perform a healing kidou.

"Rukia, that's useless isn't it? I thought that healing kidou were only effective on spirits." Said Ichigo as he felt the familiar tingling sensation running through his back.

"Normally that would be true, but I developed a modified version of the kidou to help with my duties as resident shinigami. I decided that it would be better to save those injured by hollows than wait for them to die then konso them but it didn't work out as those I was trying to heal could neither see nor hear me so I couldn't tell them to stay still long enough for me to heal them so in the end I gave up on using the technique. Now stay still and keep quiet, this is very delicate work." Replied Rukia in a strained tone.

For three hours, Rukia worked tirelessly, re-knitting broken bone and torn muscle all along Ichigo's back. Mopping her brow with her sleeve, she stopped her kidou for a moment to asses the vast array of cuts and bruises on his back. With a sigh, she set to work once more, slowly knitting together the cuts and gashes on his back.

Ichigo felt the sensation of her kidou subside then vanish completely but she remained silent. Just then he felt something cold splash against his back, followed closely by another splash, then another. "What's wrong Rukia?" he asked sympathetically as he felt her tears splash against his skin.

"Why did you do it?" She asked shakily.

"I was just acting on instinct." Replied Ichigo dismissively.

"But you could have died!" Said Rukia emphatically.

"Then I would have died happily, knowing that you were safe." Retorted Ichigo hotly.

"This body is just a gigai, why would you sacrifice yourself for it?" asked Rukia.

"I know that it's a gigai, but when I saw you falling I only saw _you_, the fact that you were in a gigai never crossed my mind." Replied Ichigo firmly.

"But why would you risk yourself for me? I'm not worth risking your life for." Said Rukia, her tears welling up once more.

"That's not true Rukia and you know it. I hate the way you keep putting yourself down like that. Yes, Kaien may have died by your hand, but he would have wanted you to destroy what he had become. In killing him, you preserved his honour and set him free; you did nothing wrong! His death was not your fault; his blood is not on your hands. You don't need to blame yourself for his death." Replied Ichigo firmly, turning to face her as he spoke. Her expression was uncertain and her hands were trembling. She was stunned that he had read her thoughts so easily.

"I know that, but Kaien's death has nothing to do with this. You still haven't answered my question. Why you would risk your life for me?" Asked Rukia, her voice growing more certain.

Ichigo shook his head and arose from the bed and headed out onto the balcony. Grasping the railing firmly, he stared out toward the sunset, his brow furrowed. Rukia followed him and, grasping his shoulder firmly, spun him round to face her. "Tell me Ichigo, why did you do it?" she asked, looking up at him, her eyes filled with determination.

"What does it matter? It's in the past now." Replied Ichigo dismissively.

"It matters to me!" said Rukia vehemently.

"Man, the answer should be plain as day, don't tell me you don't know why." Replied Ichigo tiredly.

"I'm asking you _because_ I don't know why, so tell me already." Ordered Rukia crossly.

"Do you really want me to spell it out for you?" asked Ichigo.

"Yes, spell it out for me Ichigo." Demanded Rukia hotly.

"I did it because I love you Rukia! There's no way I wouldn't risk my life for the one I love!" replied Ichigo emphatically.

"B-B-Baka d-don't joke about such things." Stammered Rukia, blushing crimson.

"I'm not joking Rukia. I'm serious, I truly love you! I don't know when I first started to love you but I'm surer of it than I have been of anything. I know that a relationship between us would be impossible, that's why I hid it and even tried to convince myself that I didn't love you but I couldn't convince myself and now I can't hide it any longer. I know that this will probably come as a shock to you and I know that you probably feel noting for me but you forced me to say it. I truly love you Rukia!" Said Ichigo firmly.

Rukia's jaw dropped and her eyes bore a perfect expression of shock. She bowed her head; Ichigo could see that she was crying. "I'm sorry Rukia; I didn't mean to upset you, just forget that I said anything." Added Ichigo comfortingly.

A weak smile crept across Rukia's face. "Baka;" she said quietly, punching him lightly in the chest; "I'm not crying because I'm upset; these are tears of joy. Do you realize how long I've been waiting for you to tell me how you truly felt about me? Now I can finally say what I've been trying to tell you all day. I love you too Ichigo! I have loved you for the longest time, but I wasn't sure how you felt about me and I didn't want to force your hand. I didn't want you to admit to having feelings for me that you didn't have so I hid my feelings for you…" Ichigo had placed his finger on her lips. She looked up into his eyes, her mouth half open; his eyes were serene and radiated warmth. She wrapped her arms loosely about his neck and raised herself up on tiptoe.

Ichigo looked into her pleading eyes and as he felt her hands slide around his neck he lowered his head slowly and slid his hand round to the back of her neck, caressing her shoulders gently as his hand slid over them. She closed her eyes. He closed his eyes and drew ever closer to her. He could feel the warmth of her breath on his lips. His heart was racing, beating loud as a war drum in his chest. With trembling lips, he opened his mouth a little and tightened his grasp on Rukia. In one smooth movement, he closed the distance entirely. Their lips met and it felt like nothing he had ever felt before. He pulled her close to his body and ran his hand slowly up her back as he felt her fingers running through his hair. He could feel her breath growing shorter and sharper against his face as his own breathing mimicked hers.

Rukia looked up imploringly as their lips parted. "Mou ichidou." She said pleadingly in barely more than a whisper. Ichigo nodded and moved in once more to grant her request.

As their lips made contact once more, Rukia felt like electricity was coursing through her body, it felt a hundred, no, a thousand times better than when she had kissed him in his sleep. The warmth of his breath on her face. The reassuring strength of his embrace as he held her in his arms. She had never dreamt that it would feel like this, her head felt light and fuzzy. Time seemed to slow to a crawl. The world had shrunk around them; right now nothing and nobody else mattered to her. In that moment of contact she felt a feeling of contentedness and security so strong that it was overwhelming. She wanted to make this moment last forever. No matter what may come, she knew now that she could not live without the man who now held her tightly in his arms.

Slowly, reluctantly, they parted and for quite some time, they just stood there, lost in each others' eyes. They were both rendered speechless by their first, well, technically their fourth kiss. Suddenly, Ichigo dashed off for the camera. Taking Rukia in his arms once more. "May I?" he asked. Blushing profusely, Rukia nodded slightly and closed her eyes. Their lips met once more and Ichigo pressed the shutter. They were framed by the balcony with the sun setting into the Tasman Sea behind them; it was truly a beautiful picture.

Rukia began to feel a little unsteady and she leant on Ichigo's arm for support. He led her to the bed and she sat down. "Are you alright?" he asked earnestly, kneeling before her.

"Yeah, I'm fine," replied Rukia; "it's just that this is all too much to process, my head feels like it's going to explode. I can't believe that you really confessed to me."

"I know," said Ichigo as he lay down on his side of the bed; "I feel the same way; it all feels like a dream."

"If it is a dream I don't ever want to wake from it and return to feeling so nervous and uncertain around you, eagerly awaiting yet dreading the moment that you would make your true feelings known to me." Said Rukia, half to herself as she stared up at the ceiling, soaking up the emotional afterglow of their first true kiss.

Raising his arm above his head, Ichigo looked at his watch; it was nearly ten; there was still time. "Rukia?" said Ichigo sitting up slowly.

"What is it?" asked Rukia with a yawn.

"Would you like to go to a zoo?" asked Ichigo flatly.

"Where did that come from?" laughed Rukia, now sitting up; the thought of seeing animals had captured her attention.

"I just remembered a leaflet I was reading this morning, that's all. There's one hitch though, it's quite far from here." Replied Ichigo.

"How far?" Rukia asked doubtingly.

"It's over five hundred miles." Replied Ichigo soberly.

"How long a drive would that be?" she asked.

"About eleven hours." Said Ichigo flatly.

"Isn't that too far to go in one day?" Asked Rukia.

"Yeah, we'd have to make it a three day trip, spending two nights at a motel and spending the whole day at the zoo in between." Replied Ichigo.

"I guess I'd better start packing then." Said Rukia with a smile.

"I'll need to call Bruce first to see if it's okay with him." Said Ichigo. He then picked up the phone and headed onto the balcony. Inside, Rukia headed into the bathroom for a quick shower and to change into her nightie. As he came back through the curtain Ichigo saw Rukia sitting on the edge of the bed in her nightie waiting expectantly for what he had to say. "Bruce says it's alright as long as we cover the cost of the overnight stop." Said Ichigo with a smile. Rukia smiled back and slid into bed. "I thought you were going to pack." Said Ichigo cheerily. Rukia said nothing but tiredly gestured to a pile of clothes sitting on the dressing table at the far end of the room. Heading over to the pile of neatly folded clothes, Ichigo noticed some items that he'd never seen before; evidently some of her purchases from earlier that day, it felt so long ago now. Selecting a couple of outfits of his own, he packed his and Rukia's clothes into his case and zipped it up then went to put the camera's batteries on charge; he felt sure that he'd be using it quite a bit on this trip. Happy that everything was organized for the morning, he headed into the bathroom to get ready for bed.

Sliding in between the sheets, he removed the first four pillows from the wall and called quietly to Rukia; "Rukia, are you still awake?"

"I am now." She said tiredly.

"Bruce is going to pick us up at seven, so we'd better get a good night's sleep." Said Ichigo.

"Then why did you wake me?" yawned Rukia, smiling slightly.

"For this." Said Ichigo and as he did, he gave Rukia a quick kiss on the forehead.

"Ichigo, if you're going to do something, do it properly." Said Rukia bluntly, although she was blushing a little. She then reached up and pulled his head close to hers and kissed him squarely on the lips then immediately withdrew and rolled over, pulling the covers over her head. "Goodnight Ichigo." She added quietly from under the covers. Ichigo lay there awhile in stunned silence; he'd never have expected Rukia to make such a bold move. Smiling contentedly, he lay down beside her.

Rukia awoke first and was already changed and ready by the time Ichigo finally awoke. "What time is it?" he said groggily, rubbing his eyes.

"It's just gone half six." Called Rukia from the balcony. Ichigo sat up with a start, his eyes darting about the room anxiously. "Relax Ichigo, you packed everything up last night; all you need to do is get yourself ready." Said Rukia warmly as she perched on his bedside cabinet, her arms folded.

As his eyes met hers, the memory of the previous night flooded back into his mind, flushing his face crimson. "Rukia, um, last night, did what I think happened really happen?" asked Ichigo haltingly.

"Yes, why do you ask? Do you…Do you regret it?" replied Rukia hesitantly, her eyes betraying her fear.

"No! Not at all!" Replied Ichigo firmly, sitting up to face her; "For a moment there, I was scared that I'd dreamt it all." As he spoke he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her once more into his strong embrace. Rukia's eyes widened, wavering slightly in shock and surprise for a moment but after a few seconds she returned his embrace, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Don't worry Ichigo, you didn't dream it." she whispered into his ear; "I'm here for you as I always have been and now I will always be right here by your side, there's nowhere else I'd rather be."

A lone tear trickled down Ichigo's cheek as Rukia's words struck home. "Yeah, me too, I swear I'll never let you go." He whispered back, too caught up in the moment to say anything more but he was sure Rukia caught his meaning as she tightened her embrace around him.

Standing on the steps before the hotel's entrance, they waited hand in hand for Bruce to arrive. At seven precisely, he pulled up before the hotel and rolled down his window. "Alright, let's get this show on the road!" he called cheerfully, beckoning them over. As they approached, he got out and opened the door for Rukia then took Ichigo's case and rucksack and slung them into the boot.

Soon they were on the open highway once again, heading ever northwards along the Pacific Highway. The highway hugged the coast for the most part, affording them views of countless miles of golden sand lapped by azure waves occasionally interrupted by a grove of trees or a small town. For five hours they drove along steadily, listening to the radio and enjoying the views. Suddenly Bruce pulled off the highway into what seemed to be a retail estate and pulled up.

"Why are we stopping?" asked Ichigo, taking off his seatbelt.

"Well I need to fill the car up, we're running on fumes." said Bruce cheerily.

"Then why didn't you pull straight into the fuel station?" Asked Ichigo, somewhat confused by Bruce's actions.

"Well, I thought you two might want to stretch your legs a bit first. Besides, it's about lunchtime anyway so I thought we could call in at the one of the restaurants here and grab some tucker before we hit the road again, what d'ya think?"

"Sounds good to me." Said Ichigo, stepping out of the car. Noticing that Rukia was still sitting inside, Ichigo went round to her side and opened her door for her. "What's up Rukia?" He asked; "Aren't you coming?" she gave no response. Ichigo knelt beside her and after a moment grabbed her by the shoulder. "Wake up Rukia. Time to go." He said warmly, shaking her gently.

"Hmm, Ichigo? Are we there yet?" Replied Rukia groggily, looking up at Ichigo.

"Not quite." Chuckled Ichigo; "We've just pulled over for a bite to eat and to stretch our legs." Rukia smiled back at him and stepped out of the car.

"It feels good to be out of there after so long on the road." Sighed Rukia, stretching as she followed Ichigo and Bruce toward the restaurant. Ichigo nodded in agreement.

"So what sort of place is this?" asked Rukia, sitting down beside Ichigo at one of the outdoor tables.

"It's a pizza restaurant." Said Ichigo. Of course, he then had to explain what pizzas were and translate parts of the menu for her but he didn't really mind and soon they had all ordered and were awaiting their meals.

"So, where did you pick for the overnight stop?" asked Bruce smiling cheerily.

Ichigo stared back mouth agape; he'd assumed that Bruce had already a place in mind. Why hadn't he made sure of it the night before? Rukia looked back and forth between the two of them in bewilderment. "I thought that you already had a place in mind, what should we do?" Replied Ichigo weakly.

"Relax, I was only joking." Laughed Bruce; "I know a bonzer place in Brisbane where we can stay. I've already called ahead for you." Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief and thanked Bruce for taking care of the arrangements for him. Just then a waiter arrived with their pizzas and their attention quickly turned to them though Ichigo found the opportunity to take a few pictures, mostly of Rukia.

Soon they left Eagle Boys Pizza behind them and after a quick stop at the fuel station they rejoined the highway, pressing ever northward. "You know you should have let me pay my share at least." Called Bruce from the front seat.

"I told you that the next time would be on us didn't I?" said Ichigo.

"Ah, that you did mate, that you did." Replied Bruce, remembering their visit to Oporto after the trip to the Australian Shark and Ray Centre.

"So, what sort of place are we booked into?" asked Ichigo.

"It's this beaut of a place in Brizzie; me and the missus went there a few years back." Replied Bruce cheerily."

"But what sort of place is it?" reiterated Ichigo.

"You'll see when we get there." Replied Bruce. Ichigo, seeing that Bruce had determined to keep their destination a secret decided to copy Rukia and doze off once more.

When he awoke next, Ichigo found himself in yet another car park. Seeing as the sun was low in the sky, he assumed that they had arrived at their overnight destination which turned out to be a campsite with both caravans and cabins. Realizing that they would soon be driving to their accommodation, he decided to let Rukia continue sleeping and headed to the reception office alone. As he pushed the door open a bell tinkled merrily to announce the arrival of a new customer.

"Welcome to Newmarket Gardens Caravan Park, how may I help you?" chimed the woman behind the desk.

"I'm here about a booking for three staying two nights. The booking should be under the name Taylor." Said Ichigo.

The woman began searching through her records and after a while looked up again and replied; "I'm sorry, but I don't have any records of a booking under that name for today."

Ichigo scratched his head then realized that he must have made the booking under either his or Rukia's name, but which one? "Can you check for both Kuchiki and Kurosaki? Our driver made the booking for me but didn't tell me under whose name he'd made the reservations." Said Ichigo, a little embarrassed.

"Ah, here it is!" exclaimed the receptionist. "It says here that you have yet to make payment. Including deposits, it comes to 382 dollars. How will you be paying sir?" She added, flashing a monetary smile.

Ichigo took out his wallet and paid for their stay. Once the payment was dealt with, the receptionist gave Ichigo the keys, their linen and a map to their cabin. "Have a nice stay Mr. Kuchiki" said the receptionist cheerfully.

"My name's actually Kurosaki but don't worry about it; thanks for your help." Replied Ichigo. The receptionist seemed a little embarrassed by her mistake, but Ichigo assured her that he was not offended and then returned to the car and loaded the linen into the boot then returned to his seat.

"That was a pain." Sighed Ichigo; "You could have told me whose name you made the reservation under."

"Sorry about that mate, I thought I'd told you." replied Bruce apologetically; "So, which cabin did we get?" he added eagerly; evidently ready to call it a night after such a long drive. Ichigo handed him the map and the keys, telling Bruce to take it easy so as not to wake Rukia.

Soon, they had pulled up in front of their cabin and Bruce had already begun to unload the boot, leaving Ichigo to wake Rukia. Unfortunately, she just didn't want to wake up so Ichigo went around to her side and gently lifted her from the car. After lying her down on the sofa, Ichigo threw himself into an armchair; Bruce was busying himself in the kitchen. Suddenly, Ichigo felt something cold against his arm. "Fancy a tinny?" asked Bruce with a smile.

Taking the can, Ichigo examined it and hesitated for a moment, remembering that he was still only 19, but the legal age in Australia was only 18. "To hell with it, who's going to find out?" He thought and after thanking Bruce he pulled the tab and took a healthy swig.

"She seems completely rooted, doesn't she?" Said Bruce, gesturing to Rukia. Ichigo nodded in agreement. Just then, as if on cue, Rukia stirred and sat up.

"Where am I?" Asked Rukia sleepily, looking around the room blankly.

"You're in our cabin." Said Ichigo warmly, getting up and moving to sit beside her.

"I gathered that, but how did I get here?" she asked looking at Ichigo.

"I carried you in." replied Ichigo, smiling. Rukia blushed and looked down, noticing the can in Ichigo's hand she gave him a reprimanding glare, but Ichigo was quick to respond; "Gou ni itte wa, gou ni shitagae." said Ichigo with a smile, quoting the old proverb, roughly equivalent to 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do.' After a few moments, Rukia smiled back at him.

"Would you like one too?" asked Bruce, reaching into the cooler he had conveniently placed beside his chair.

"I don't know." Replied Rukia hesitantly, looking over to Ichigo; "Let me have a sip of yours Ichigo." She added, holding out her hand. Ichigo complied, although a little begrudgingly. "It's good, what is it?" asked Rukia, handing Ichigo's can back to him.

"It's beer, Fosters to be precise." Said Bruce, tossing a can over to her. She caught it and pulled the tab but as she did, a plume of white froth erupted from the can; evidently, its' tumbling flight through the air had shaken it quite a bit. Rukia looked on in disbelief at the foam bubbled forth from the can and flowed down its sides. Ichigo couldn't help but chuckle as Rukia tried to stem the flow of foam with her thumb. This only caused a jet of foam to squirt straight up and hit her in the face. Depositing the effervescing can on the coffee table; Rukia headed to the kitchen and grabbed a teatowel. She returned to the table wiping her face with the towel and as she lowered it, her cheeks were clearly crimson.

"You're supposed to drink it, not wear it Rukia." Chuckled Ichigo.

"How would you like to be wearing yours?" Threatened Rukia half jokingly.

"No, it's alright Rukia, I'm sorry." Said Ichigo, waving his hands apologetically.

Rukia chuckled and turned back to Bruce, thanking him for the can, still blushing slightly. For a while, they sat in conversation as the skies outside darkened and the last vestiges of the sunset faded into the warm starlit night. Getting up, Bruce walked over to one of the windows and looked up into the night sky, running a finger around the lip of his can absentmindedly.

"How long ago did your grandfather die?" asked Rukia, standing beside him. Her years as a shinigami had given her a sixth sense about these things.

"You're pretty sharp aren't you." Sighed Bruce, his eyes still fixed on the sky. "On clear nights like this, I can't help but think of the times we used to go fishing before the dawn. He died seven years ago now. I hope he's doing well up there." A weak smile spread across his face and Rukia noticed a lone tear shimmering in the starlight.

"I'm sure he is." Said Rukia comfortingly. Ichigo looked on in awe; he hadn't even the slightest inkling that Bruce was thinking about someone he'd lost, even now as he studied his face, but Rukia had picked it up almost instantly. Just how had she done it?

"Sorry 'bout that." Said Bruce shyly rubbing the back of his neck as he returned to his seat. "I didn't mean to make you worry."

"It's quite alright." Said Rukia; "Those who have died are never really gone; they live on in our memories. There's nothing wrong with reminiscing about the times we shared with them." Bruce nodded in agreement as he sank back into his chair. Rukia returned Ichigo's side; he yearned to ask her about how she'd known but Bruce wasn't going to give him the opportunity just yet.

"So how'd you do it?" he asked suddenly, leaning forward in his chair eagerly. Ichigo and Rukia's expressions went blank, their mouths agape. What on earth did he mean?

"Do what?" asked Ichigo nervously.

"How'd you confess to her?" asked Bruce encouragingly, obviously eager to hear the story.

"Wh-what do you mean?" asked Ichigo, blushing. Rukia looked down at her feet, her face growing redder by the moment.

"C'mon it's obvious that you've done it. You two are completely different today from the last time I saw you. You're a lot more at ease with one another and you were holding hands when I pulled up this morning; not to mention your carrying Rukia in here. You'd have to be blind and deaf not to spot it. So, who confessed to whom? "

Seeing that they'd been completely found out, Ichigo decided that he may as well tell him the whole story. "I confessed to her." he said at last. "She kinda forced me into it." Rukia shot Ichigo a reprimanding look. Bruce's eyebrows raised in interest. "She wouldn't stop asking me why I jumped off the cliff after her so I had no other choice but to confess to her. Oh, before you get the wrong idea, the cliff was only four metres high." Rukia's face was white, she'd seen what was coming; Ichigo had failed to realize that he'd just dug himself into a hole.

"You can't be serious Ichigo; if you had jumped off a cliff that height, you'd at least have some cuts and bruises but you're completely unscathed. C'mon, tell me what really happened. I promise I won't laugh or anything." Said Bruce.

Ichigo realised that he'd dug himself into quite a hole here. He was at a loss as to what to say. The colour was slowly draining from his face. "Ichigo is telling the truth." Said Rukia firmly, embers of anger glowing in her eyes; she hated that Bruce was in effect calling Ichigo a liar. His seemingly miraculous recovery is down to an ability that I have; I have a healing ability which has been passed down through my family for generations. I used this ability to heal his injuries. Now that I think about it, I should have left some of the more shallow cuts and scrapes so as to avoid suspicion." Though she hated lying to Bruce, she knew that this was the only way to explain things without revealing herself as a shinigami, which would take a _lot_ more explaining.

It was obvious from his expression that Bruce did not believe her in the slightest. "That's preposterous." Said Bruce at last. "There's no way I could believe such a tale without proof."

"How do you expect me to prove it?" asked Rukia flatly.

"Like this." Replied Bruce. As he spoke, he whipped out a knife from his boot and drew its blade without flinching in the slightest across his palm. In moments, the gash turned red as his blood welled up in the hollow of his hand.

Rukia sat there for a moment wide-eyed, stunned by his actions. "Fine then." She said as she got up and knelt before him. Initiating the healing kidou, she closed the wound in a matter of seconds then returned to her seat. "Do you still doubt my words?" she asked, looking him in the eye.

Bruce stared at his palm in disbelief; there was not even the slightest scar or mark where he had cut himself. "That's amazing." He breathed; "You could make a lot of money with this ability, not to mention cure a lot of diseases."

"Firstly, my ability only works on injuries, not illnesses." Replied Rukia; "Secondly, I have no desire to become rich or famous; I'm more than happy with things the way they are. Therefore, please don't tell anyone about this."

"Alright. If that's really what you want." Sighed Bruce; "I'm sorry for not believing you Ichigo, but you have to admit that your story was highly unlikely. I thought that you were either trying to embellish or hide the truth out of embarrassment." Standing up, Bruce drained his can and stretched. "Well, it's about time I hit the sack. I'll see you in the morning." He then headed to his room as Ichigo and Rukia wished him goodnight but stopped in the doorway. "Don't worry, I'm a very heavy sleeper." He added with a slight smile as he disappeared into his room.

Rukia and Ichigo exchanged embarrassed looks with one another as they realised the meaning of his parting comment. "I'm sorry Rukia, I made you reveal your kidou to Bruce; I should have thought of something else to say back then." Said Ichigo sheepishly.

"It's alright Ichigo." Said Rukia warmly; "Nothing came of it; besides, I'm glad you didn't lie about it. Your honesty is one of the things I like most about you Ichigo, don't lose it."

Ichigo smiled back warmly. Just then he remembered what he'd been itching to ask her. "How did you know about his grandfather?" he asked.

"It's quite simple really." Replied Rukia; "When I was on patrol, I would often look for people reminiscing about their dearly departed as they could most likely be a hollow's target. Over time, I was able to spot those people more and more easily. As to how I knew it was his grandfather was all down to subtle signs in his expression. In time you'll be able to see the signs too."

Ichigo, though still a little confused, did not decide to press the matter any further. "I think it's about time we turned in too." He said, getting up and making for their room, Rukia following closely behind him. Ichigo opened up his case and sorted out their clothes. Pulling his pyjamas from the pile, he was about to go and change when he noticed Rukia searching frantically for something to no avail. "What are you looking for?" he asked, placing his pyjamas down on the edge of the bed.

"I've left my nightie behind." Said Rukia embarrassedly. "I was wearing it when I sorted out my clothes for the trip so it didn't get added to the pile." She gave him a desperate look but soon shook her head and said; "Ah well, nevermind, it's too hot for it tonight, I'll just sleep in my underwear." With that, she pulled off her t-shirt and began to unbutton her skirt.

Ichigo was at a loss for words; had Rukia always been this bold? Would he be able to cope with sleeping next to her like that? He could offer her his shirt like he did on their first night in Australia but part of him told him that it would be a pointless gesture after her last statement. What should he do? What should he say? "Rukia, do you mind if I do the same?" he asked somewhat hesitantly, surprising himself with his forwardness. Why'd he ask her that? What would she think of him for it? Would she think he only had one thing on his mind.

"No, it's fine with me Ichigo, I don't mind." She said with a smile as she slid off her skirt. Well, now he had no choice, so he stripped down to his boxers and put his pyjamas back in his case. Now Rukia was standing before him in only her underwear as he stood there in nothing but his and the sight of her slender and radiant frame in the dim light was having quite an effect on him as she slipped between the covers. Not wanting to give it any more thought, he too got into bed. This time there was now pillow wall between them. He could see her slender frame almost completely exposed to him as she lay on her side, facing the wall. This was too much for him, he longed to embrace her.

* * *

CAUTION LEMONY SECTION! Nothing too much but consider yourself warned XD

* * *

"She knows how I feel about her, I've got nothing to hide; so why am I hesitating?" he thought. He could think of no good reason so he edged closer to Rukia. Cautiously, he reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder. She flinched slightly in surprise at his touch but didn't shy away or tell him to stop. Feeling slightly more confident, he ran his hand down the length of her arm. His hand came to rest on her hip, her thin waistband running under his little finger. He shuffled still closer to her. He could hear her breath quickening slightly but still she said nothing. He felt his own pulse quickening as his hand moved onto her stomach. Every now and then he'd feel her shiver slightly as he caressed her, his left hand moving ever higher on her stomach as his right circled her shoulders. His hormones were now beginning to take over but he didn't care; he wanted this, he wanted her. Tonight he would make her his.

Cautiously, he followed her shoulder straps down to the clasp and undid it with some difficulty. Rukia let out a slight gasp amid her now rapid breathing but still she remained silent. His hand that had been massaging her stomach now moved warily up towards her chest. His fingertips found the underwire and in one smooth motion, he slipped his hand under it. Oh how he wanted to see what he now felt; they were so soft, velvety to the touch and they were firm yet supple. His hand seemed as if it had become glued to it; squeezing and fondling it incessantly, his middle finger running circles around its summit. She was now beginning to let out the slightest of moans every now and then. Clearly, he was going to get no resistance form her. He moved his hand back down her body, gliding over her waistband and caressing what lay below. He couldn't take it any more, he needed more, he needed her.

Tossing away the duvet, he gently rolled Rukia onto her back then swung his leg over and knelt over her. What he saw took his breath away; her chest was rising and falling in time to her rapid breathing, her bra was half off, laying bare what it once concealed. Taking hold of the shoulder straps he removed it with no resistance from her. Her mouth was half open and her eyes were wide and filled with pleasure and desire, her cheeks were glowing crimson with a mixture of embarrassment and excitement. Her arms lay limp at her sides; she was completely defenceless, offering herself completely to him. He lowered his head to hers and met her lips with his. Sliding his hands round the back of her head, he kissed her over and over. Suddenly, her arms sprang into life and grasped his head and she began to kiss him back as her fingers writhed through his hair. Suddenly, he felt a new sensation as her tongue slipped between their lips and into his mouth searching for his own. Her breathing grew harder as her tongue entwined around his. As her stifled moans filled his ears their tongues began dancing passionately.

Eventually, Ichigo pulled away, leaving her panting open mouthed. He slid off the bed and, kneeling at her feet, began caressing her legs, moving ever higher, ever nearer to her final piece of clothing. He began to caress her through the fabric. Curling his fingers around her waistband he was about to remove them when he decided that he'd ask her first, even though he knew her answer.

"Rukia, it's alright, isn't it? Can we do it?" he asked breathlessly.

She did not answer for a while as she fought to control her breathing. "If … If that's what you really want Ichigo… then… then I won't stop you." She breathed. Ichigo was taken aback by her response; she didn't sound like she wanted this at all, but if that was true, why did she let him go this far? She had obviously wanted that kiss. "What's wrong Rukia? Don't you want to?" He asked; his voice full of surprise.

"It's not… It's not that I don't _want to do_ it… Remember that I said that gigai couldn't procreate? That's always been the case but recently, they have been modified so that they discourage the user from engaging in such activities by making them feel only unbearable pain. As you can probably guess, it was Mayuri Kurotsuchi who made that modification. But… But if you still want to do it, I'll bear with it for your sake." Said Rukia, forcing a weak smile.

"Rukia…" breathed Ichigo, a lone tear trickling down his cheek. "If that's the case, I'll wait as long as it takes. There's no way I could be so selfish as to do it now after you've said all that. I want us both to be able to enjoy our first time together to the fullest."

"Thank you Ichigo." Said Rukia, throwing her arms around his neck. "I knew you'd understand. I love you so much."

"I love you too." Said Ichigo, kissing her once more as he pulled the duvet over them both. They soon fell asleep in each others' arms, looking longingly into each others' eyes, each completely contented.

* * *

END OF LEMONY SECTION!

* * *

The next morning, they awoke together, still holding one another. "Good morning Ichigo." Smiled Rukia, kissing him softly.

"Good morning, Rukia." Replied Ichigo, returning the kiss. Sitting up, he flipped the duvet back and got out of bed. Turning back, he saw Rukia lying there in only her pants. His cheeks reddened. Rukia, following his gaze, wrapped her arms about her chest instinctively, her own cheeks reddening. Ichigo had turned away in embarrassment and was searching through his clothes for something to wear.

"Ichigo, it's alright, I don't mind you seeing me like this." Said Rukia quietly, standing close behind Ichigo. Stepping forward, she embraced him from behind, pressing herself against him. Ichigo stood bolt upright at the feeling of her sudden embrace, as did a certain part of his anatomy. He could hear that she was crying. "I'm sorry about last night Ichigo. I wish we could have gone all the way but in this gigai it's nearly impossible. I'm really sorry so please don't hate me for it." whispered Rukia amid her tears.

Ichigo turned around and knelt before her, placing his hands on her shoulders. For a few moments he said nothing, just looking lovingly into her tear washed eyes, trying to find the right words. "Rukia, you've got nothing to apologize for." Said Ichigo warmly but firmly, wiping away her tears and embracing her tightly. "I love you Rukia, there's no way I'd do anything to hurt you and there's no way I could ever hate you, especially over something like this so stop worrying about it and put it out of your mind. Now let's get ready to head out, we've got to be at the zoo early."

"Thanks Ichigo, I love you too, I'm sorry for worrying all the time, it's just that I can't stand the thought of losing you now that we've finally been able to confess our true feelings to one another." Said Rukia, wiping away the last of her tears. Grabbing a towel from the case, Rukia slung it over her shoulder and made for the door. After she'd headed out Ichigo returned to sorting out his clothes.

Moments later, he heard Rukia let out a cry and she burst back into their room, her arms clasped tightly about her chest, her face crimson. "What is it Rukia?" asked Ichigo.

She looked up pleadingly into his eyes. "I forgot that Bruce was here too." She said embarrassedly. Ichigo burst out laughing, unable to stop himself. "It's not funny Ichigo!" scowled Rukia. "I don't want anyone besides you seeing me like this." She added emphatically, tears welling up in her azure eyes.

"Well, it's really your fault for going out like that." Chucked Ichigo; "This time put something on before heading out and take a change of clothes with you."

"I don't want to go out there again, at least not alone." Said Rukia quietly, heading to dress and sort out a change of clothes.

"Alright I'll head out first but you've got nothing to worry about; Bruce is a married man, I'm sure he thought nothing of it." Said Ichigo reassuringly as he finished buttoning his pyjama shirt. He placed a towel and his change of clothes on the corner of the bed and escorted Rukia through to the bathroom. Rukia kept her eyes fixed on the ground the whole time, too embarrassed to look Bruce in the eye.

Sitting across from Bruce, Ichigo could easily see that he was a little embarrassed by his earlier run in with Rukia. Ichigo knew that leaving things in this state would only make things difficult for them so he spoke up; "Don't worry about what happened earlier Bruce, I've already talked to Rukia about it. If you act all embarrassed around her you'll only make her feel worse so just act like nothing happened. I'm sure she'll probably end up apologizing to you about it soon enough."

"I guess you're right there mate, I'll try to keep a straight face for her sake. You do know that it was completely unintentional don't you?" replied Bruce. Ichigo nodded and just then he heard the shower shut off so he got up and grabbed his change of clothes and towel from his room.

Now Rukia was left alone, sitting across from Bruce, gingerly sipping a glass of orange juice, trying to avoid eye contact. Seeing that Rukia was still embarrassed, Bruce busied himself in the kitchen. "Bruce?" called Rukia waveringly.

"Yeah, what is it?" asked Bruce cheerily.

"I'm… I'm sorry about earlier, I shouldn't have… I mean I should have dressed before heading out. I'd forgotten that you were here too." Replied Rukia haltingly, blushing up to the ears.

"No worries Rukia." Replied Bruce; "I'll just forget it happened, so let's put it behind us."

"Thanks Bruce." Smiled Rukia

Just then, Ichigo emerged from the bathroom. "Alright, let's get this show on the road." He said, smiling cheerily.

The drive to Australia Zoo passed quickly and they pulled up just before eight. As she opened her door, Rukia's ears were met by the calls of many different species of birds and other animals, bringing a bright smile to her face. Looking over to the gates, she noticed that they were still locked. Crestfallen, Rukia turned to Ichigo who was stretching lazily on the other side of the car and said; "Ichigo, the zoo seems to be closed, are you sure they're open today?"

Ichigo smiled back at her saying; "They open at nine but we needed to be here early."

"Why is that?" asked Rukia, seeing no advantage to standing outside the zoo for an hour before they opened.

"You'll se Rukia, you'll see." Smiled Ichigo knowingly as he shut the car door. "Alright, let's get going, we don't want to miss this." He added as he slung his rucksack over his shoulder.

"You two have a good time, I'll meet you back here later, just give me a call when you want me to pick you up." Said Bruce from the driver's seat.

"Not a chance." Said Ichigo, "You're coming with us, it's the least we can do after you took us all the way out here.

Bruce needed no more invitation than that and he was out of the car like a shot and all three headed for the entrance. As they approached they saw a woman standing in front of the locked gate wearing khaki shorts and shirt both emblazoned with the zoo's logo.

"Welcome to Australia Zoo, I'm Kassie and I'll be your guide and the handler for this encounter. Now, if you'll follow me inside, we can get this show on the road." Said Kassie, beckoning them through a door beside the ticket office. Rukia looked up at Ichigo, her eyes begging an explanation from him but he remained silent as they followed Kassie into a small room whose walls were lined with lockers. "You'll need to leave your personal belongings here until after the encounter." Said Kassie, pointing to the lockers. Once they'd deposited their affects, she led them out into the zoo itself.

Walking through the zoo before it opened was a strange experience, the paths were all but empty and the air was still and the silence was only broken by occasional calls from the animals. Besides their small party, they only saw a few members of the zoo staff rushing here and there tending to last minute jobs before the zoo opened for the day.

Eventually they came to a halt before a tall bronze statue of a tiger and Kassie told them to wait for her there and she disappeared into a large structure at the far end of the clearing. Just then, Bruce figured out what was going on. His eyes lit up with excitement and he looked over to Ichigo who smiled and nodded, still keeping Rukia in the dark about it. Bruce could hardly believe his luck. Just then another woman arrived from the same way they had just come. "Sorry I'm late, I'm Tania and I'll be your photographer for this encounter. I can tell you you're in for a real treat today. Tania seemed just as excited about the whole thing as Bruce was. She was definitely in her element.

A soft chuffing sound from behind them made the whole group turn around. There, standing by Kassie was a Sumatran tiger. As Kassie made her way back to the group, the tiger followed along happily behind her on its lead. "Alright folks, allow me to introduce Maneki, she's a four year old Sumatran tiger. She's a very gentle and affectionate girl, but don't let that fool you, she still has the potential to be quite dangerous, so I must ask that you act calmly and make no sudden movements. Now let's get started!" Added Kassie cheerily, seeing a shadow of fear beginning to spread across her audience. Leading them off down another of the zoos paths and as they walked she told them about the rest of the zoo's tigers and the fate of the tigers in the wild.

"So, what do you think of my little surprise Rukia?" asked Ichigo.

"I love it, Maneki is truly beautiful, I never knew that there were such beautiful and majestic creatures in this world. Thanks for bringing me here." Said Rukia beaming back at him.

"So, which do you prefer now, tigers or rabbits?" asked Ichigo with a sly grin.

"Don't make fun of me Ichigo, there's nothing wrong with liking rabbits." Scowled Rukia.

"Relax, I never said there was." chuckled Ichigo. Just then, Maneki lay down on the grass beside the koala enclosure.

"Alright, if you'd like to gather around behind Maneki, we can take some photos." Said Kassie as she knelt by Maneki's head. Rukia knelt beside Kassie and gingerly stroked Maneki, her fur felt soft and a little oily. As Rukia stroked her, Maneki began chuffing happily, sending a shiver of excitement up Rukia's spine. Rukia was smiling excitedly as she ran her fingers through Maneki's coat until her hand suddenly met Ichigo's. Their eyes met; hers bright with excitement and his warm and affectionate. Smiling, Ichigo could see that Rukia was truly enjoying this encounter, he truly loved being able to see Rukia so happy, her smile was real, not like the one she'd often used at school and it was all the more beautiful for its rarity. Just then Tania set up her camera and began taking photos of them all. After a while Maneki got up once more and they continued on their walk, eventually ending up back at the tiger enclosure.

Whilst Kassie led Maneki back into her enclosure Tania headed off to develop their photos. Soon Kassie emerged from the tiger enclosure and led them to the gift shop which housed the photo labs. "Here we are." Said Tania cheerily. Presenting Ichigo with an envelope containing their photos.

"Thanks Tania, these are great, you've certainly done a brilliant job with them." Said Ichigo as he examined the photographs.

"You're welcome" replied Tania; "Here at the photography department, we always aim to please."

Waving goodbye to Tania, they followed Kassie back to the entrance of the zoo to pick up their belongings from the lockers. As Ichigo slung his rucksack over his shoulder, Kassie turned to the group; "So, did you all enjoy the encounter?" she asked enthusiastically. Her ears were met almost immediately by expressions of gratitude from the group. After bidding the group a fond farewell, she set off back to the tiger enclosure.

"Well, where to next?" asked Ichigo as they headed into the zoo once more. Neither Bruce nor Rukia had any suggestions so they began meandering from enclosure to enclosure, all the while Rukia was in a constant state of wonder as she observed the many different species which the zoo had to offer. Eventually, they found themselves back at the tiger enclosure once more. Now they could see all of the zoo's tigers playing out in the main enclosure. Noticing the glass by the pool, Ichigo headed over to try and take some pictures of the tigers swimming. When he got there he saw Maneki an the pool right beside the glass along with Kassie and Singha, Ichigo felt a little envious of her being able to have such a close relationship with such magnificent beasts. After taking a few pictures he headed off to meet up with Bruce and Rukia on the other side of the enclosure.

As they headed past the elephant enclosure, Ichigo noticed a souvenir shop and headed inside. Rukia made straight for a stand of stuffed animals whilst Ichigo browsed a selection of caps and hats. After a while they headed out having made quite a few purchases, most notably; a stuffed tiger dressed in khakis for Yuzu and an elephant shaped whistle for Isshin to add to his ever growing collection.

They now found themselves walking around the various crocodile enclosures. Rukia was a little unnerved by the sheer size and power of the reptiles but Bruce seemed to be having the time of his life. Rukia stayed close to Ichigo all the while. As they passed Acco's enclosure Rukia was frozen to the spot as she saw a group of zookeepers jumping on the massive reptile. "It's alright Rukia, that's how they move 'em." Said Bruce reassuringly; "Those guys will hold him down whilst the guy at the front ties the croc's mouth shut. You see, a croc has very strong muscles to open its mouth, but only weak ones to close it, that's why it's easy to hold its mouth shut."

Rukia felt a little more relaxed now and they continued on through the croc enclosures until they arrived at a massive model crocodile whose name, according to the nearby sign, was Cameron. Setting up his tripod, Ichigo, Rukia and Bruce clambered onto the leviathan's back and Ichigo clicked the remote. They stayed awhile taking photographs with Cameron until Ichigo, glancing at his watch, noticed that it was nearly half four. Time had truly flown by. Leaving the crocodile enclosures behind, they made for the entrance. As they passed the lizard enclosures, Rukia's attention was drawn to a large bronze sculpture sitting in the middle of a lawn. It was a sculpture of the Irwin family. Rukia stood there transfixed, staring into the bronze Steve Irwin's eyes.

"The flames that burn the brightest all too often burn out too soon." Began Rukia in a soft faraway tone; "And the lives of the greatest men are all too often extinguished before their time. Through their sacrifice, they pave the way for us all to find a brighter future and by their light; humanity is able to find its way through the darkness of the night and into a shining tomorrow." Rukia tailed off into thoughtful silence once more. Suddenly, Rukia was aware of someone standing behind her. Turning around, she saw that it was none other than Terri Irwin!

"Thank you for your kind words." She said smiling. Rukia was speechless; she could see a lone tear in the corner of Terri's eye.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Said Rukia condolingly; "He was truly a great man." The two of them stood talking until closing time until, reluctantly, Rukia rejoined Ichigo and Bruce and made for the exit.

They arrived back at their cabin around seven. Bruce threw himself down into the same armchair he had occupied the previous night. Rukia and Ichigo settled down on the couch opposite him. They had barely sat down when Bruce got up once more; "Back in two ticks." He said cheerily as he headed out of the cabin. Rukia and Ichigo listened as his car started up and drove away.

"I wonder what that was all about?" asked Ichigo looking over to Rukia; she just shrugged her shoulders. "So, do you think that the zoo was worth the long trip?" asked Ichigo.

Rukia sat in thought for a moment then replied; "Definitely, I really enjoyed the zoo itself and the opportunity to see Maneki up close was astounding. Aside from the zoo, last night was also great…" She tailed off as she realized what she had implied and, looking at Ichigo, he had realized it too. "No, I didn't mean that." Explained Rukia hurriedly; "not that I didn't enjoy _that_ part of the night, I was referring to the opportunity to get to know Bruce a little better. It feels as if he's become more than just our driver; I've come to see him more as a friend especially after today."

"I know what you mean." Replied Ichigo; "Besides, without his advice, I doubt I'd have worked up the courage to confess to you. So, in my opinion, we owe him one."

"Yeah, you're right Ichigo; he's certainly been a lot of help to us. He was certainly quick to spot how we felt about one another, even before we'd noticed it ourselves." Said Rukia, chuckling slightly.

"You know what they say; 'It sometimes takes a fresh pair of eyes to see what's been there all along.' It makes sense really; we couldn't see the changes in the way we acted around one another because they happened so gradually but Bruce could easily read our actions and that's why he was able to realize how we felt about one another before we realized each other's feelings." Said Ichigo thoughtfully.

"I wonder if your family has figured it out." Mused Rukia half to herself.

"I wouldn't think so; they, like us, wouldn't have noticed the gradual changes so I think we're safe there." Replied Ichigo.

"I'm not too sure, what about your father's last remark when we left; 'Enjoy your honeymoon.' was it? Maybe he has realized." Said Rukia, looking a little worried.

"I think that was O'san just being his usual self, besides, why are we worrying about all this anyway? It's not like we really have to keep it a secret." Replied Ichigo.

"I guess you're right Ichigo." Chuckled Rukia, feeling a little better now.

Just then, Bruce burst in through the door carrying a multitude of bags along with a very large box. "Wh-what's all this?" stuttered Ichigo in surprise.

"You'll see, just wait a bit and I'll have everything set up in no time." replied Bruce and with that he dropped the bags in the kitchen and went out through the French windows into the cabins garden with the box. Rukia and Ichigo looked at each other dumbfounded as Bruce returned with the empty box and, after setting it down by the door, went to the kitchen and began preparing a myriad of different dishes but did not seem to be cooking any of them but setting them all on trays. Much of the food was prepared on skewers, some featuring beef, chicken, pork and even prawns. Soon he had finished his preparations and began moving the trays onto the edge of the dining table nearest the French windows. Ichigo had realized pretty quickly what Bruce was doing but Rukia was still looking on with great curiosity.

"Alright guys, everything's set up." Called Bruce from outside, beckoning for them to join him. Even before they the crossed the threshold into the garden, the sweet smell of cooking pork had reached their noses and whetted their appetites. "C'mon, dig in, the first batch is ready." Said Bruce, gesturing to the shish kebabs sizzling merrily on the barbeque.

"Bruce, you didn't have to go to all this trouble for us." Said Ichigo as he grabbed a shish kebab."

"This is just my way of saying thanks for taking me to the zoo with you. Besides, a holiday to Australia wouldn't be complete without at least one barbecue. Now don't hold back, I've made plenty." Replied Bruce cheerily.

"Thanks very much Bruce, the food tastes great." said Rukia.

"You're very welcome." Smiled Bruce as he loaded a few more shish kebabs onto the barbeque.

"Were you a chef before you became a chauffer Bruce, this is really great." Asked Ichigo as he tucked into his fourth shish kebab.

"No, I just enjoy cooking ever since I was a lad and like anything else, the more you practice, the better you get." Replied Bruce, rubbing the back of his neck embarrassedly. Just then, their attention was drawn to Rukia who had begun coughing suddenly.

"Rukia are you alright?" asked Ichigo earnestly as he rushed to her side.

"Yeah, I'm alright, the tip of the skewer just caught the back of my throat, that's all." Replied Rukia. Evidently, having never had a shish kebab before and unsure of the proper method, she had tried to tackle it head-on as it were and caught herself on the end of the skewer. Thankfully, there was no harm done, although the image had set Ichigo's imagination racing.

"S-sorry about that." Said Rukia sheepishly, clearly embarrassed by her error.

"No worries mate, you've got nothing to apologize for." Replied Bruce kindly. The three of them talked long into the night, enjoying the cool night air and the cloudless sky until they tiredly bade each other goodnight and retired for the night.

The next morning they packed swiftly and were on the road again by eight. The sky was a beautiful turquoise and the sun was beating down on them so much so that they had all the windows on the car rolled right down and the air conditioning on full just to try and keep cool. The heat haze made the scenery shimmer and dance all around them and at times gave the impression that the road was rising like Bifröst into the sky as it climbed to Asgard. The whole scene was breathtaking and Ichigo was doing his best to capture as much of it as possible with his camera. That was, at least, until Rukia snatched it out of his hands to photograph a mob of kangaroos bounding along beside the road.

As the journey wore on, Ichigo gradually became aware that the traffic on the other side of the highway was thinning out. He was about to ask Bruce about it when the traffic on their side began to slow to a crawl, eventually stopping altogether. "Well, I guess we're gonna be stuck here for a while." Sighed Bruce; "Judging by the way the traffic on the other side disappeared after Nerong, I'd say there's been a big accident somewhere up ahead. No sense in wasting fuel." He added as he turned off the engine. He then got out and went around to the boot of the car, returning moments later with a dozen water bottles. He passed eight of them in through Ichigo's window and chucked the remaining four on the front passenger seat as he got in. "in this heat, you can never be too careful. I've got two crates back there so drink as much as you want." Said Bruce, trying to keep cheerful.

Soon Bruce had dozed off in the front seat and Ichigo and Rukia were not far behind. Suddenly Rukia sat bolt upright. Shaking Ichigo by the shoulder, she woke him up. "Wh-what is it?" asked Ichigo sleepily but he was wide awake in an instant when he saw the worried look on Rukia's face.

"Something doesn't feel right Ichigo, I don't think this is just a car crash; I think I can sense a hollow's presence in the air. It's probably nothing, but could you check it out?" Whispered Rukia, trying not to wake Bruce. The last thing she wanted to do was explain everything to Bruce in a stiflingly hot car. Ichigo agreed and activated his talisman ring and was reaching for the door handle when Rukia grabbed his shoulder. "No Ichigo." She whispered; "if you use the door, you'll wake Bruce, go out through the window." Ichigo nodded and exited, albeit with some difficulty, through the rear window. Looking back, he could see that Rukia was trying hard not to laugh.

"Man, there'd better be something out there after all this." Thought Ichigo as he leapt into the air and began shunpoing his way to the head of the traffic jam. After a few minutes, he reached the head of the queue. Rukia was right. The tailback was caused by a hollow, or rather hollows. There were no fewer than six Gillian standing at the end of the traffic jam, three on either side of the road. "What the hell is this?" thought Ichigo as he closed in on the behemoths. He'd never heard of a Gillian making its way into the living world of its own accord, let alone six. There had to be someone or something behind this.

Standing on the central reservation a few hundred metres from them, he noticed that these Gillian were different. Each had red rings around its eyes and each lacked the characteristic ring of spikes about its neck and instead bore a ring of rune-like markings in their place. Evidently, these Gillian were under the power of someone or something, but what?

Suddenly he became distinctly aware that the Gillian had noticed him as six cero ripped simultaneously through the air towards him. "To hell with it." he thought as he drew Zangetsu and called out a single word; Bankai. In an instant, he launched himself into the air and fended off the ceros deflecting them into the sky. Charging forward, he released his Getsuga Tenshou on the first group of Gillian, beheading all three in a single strike.

As their comrades dissolved into oblivion, the other three Gillian wailed and moaned as they backed away from the roadside. Ichigo now had the chance to examine the cause of the tailback; it was a deep ravine obviously gouged out by a cero. Still, this made no sense. Why would six Gillian come to attack a highway in the middle of nowhere? Was this an isolated incident or were crowds of Gillian wreaking havoc all over the globe. He certainly hoped not.

Meanwhile, back in Bruce's car, Rukia sat bolt upright, her eyes wide with fear, her breathing short and sharp. She had felt Ichigo activate his bankai and release the Getsuga Tenshou then nothing. Fear filled her heart, what if she had sent Ichigo to his doom? She had to do something; she had to go to him. Reaching for his talisman ring, she was about to slide it from his finger when she heard Bruce's voice.

"Rukia, you alright there?" he asked sleepily, peering over the back of his seat.

"Yes, it was just a bad dream." She lied, turning to face him.

"Looks like Ichigo can sleep through anything." Chuckled Bruce as he noticed him lying there motionless.

"Yeah, he's a heavy sleeper." Sighed Rukia, thankful that Bruce thought that Ichigo was merely sleeping. However her chances of going to Ichigo were now zero. All she could do now was wait and hope.

By now, Ichigo had descended into the ravine, looking for anything which could have been the Gillian's objective. He found nothing. He was about to finish off the rest of the Gillian when he noticed another figure amongst them, hiding behind the foremost Gillian's head. He was in no mood to play games. Raising Tensa Zangetsu up to point at the new figure, he called over to it. "Show yourself!" he demanded.

"Gladly." Chuckled the figure coldly. In an instant, it had disappeared from behind the Gillian and reappeared right in front of him, causing him to stumble backwards. The figure was only slightly taller than he was. She, for judging by her figure, she was most definitely female, was clad in gilded armour from head to toe. The armour bore runes similar to those that the Gillian bore except the ones on her armour seemed to glow with a pale blue light. Her hands were unarmoured and her fingernails were long black and pointed, more like talons than nails. The skin of her forearms and hands was a pale purplish colour, which gave her an eerie, almost ghostly feel. Her mask was like no other hollow's mask that he'd ever seen; it was an intricate latticework of black designs that seemed to form the faceplate of her gilded helmet, but that was not the strangest thing; the mask was completely crimson apart from the black designs,; there was not a trace of white on it. He'd seen masks with designs on them before, but there was always a good portion of the mask that remained white. Just what was this hollow?

"Who are you?" asked Ichigo, looking up into her glowing, yellow, hawk like eyes.

"I am Verandi." She replied, her voice soft and alluring.

"What do you want here?" Asked Ichigo, careful to keep his guard up.

"First, lower your blade, then we may talk." Said Verandi and with that, she reached out and touched Tensa Zangetsu's tip, instantly dispelling Ichigo's bankai. Ichigo returned Zangetsu to its bandage scabbard; it seemed that, at least for now, this Verandi had no interest in fighting.

"As I said before, I am Verandi, as for my purpose here, it is quite simple; it's you." Said Verandi.

"What do you want with me, and why did you have to cause such destruction?" asked Ichigo, now feeling more than a little uneasy about this creature that could dispel his bankai at a whim.

"It was necessary to create an opportunity to bring you forth alone." Replied Verandi, walking around Ichigo.

"Why did you need me to be alone?" asked Ichigo, trying to keep her in his sights.

"It is necessary that only you see what I have to show you and hear what I have to tell you, for that is how it was destined to be." Said Verandi, stopping and staring up into the skies.

"Alright, I'm listening and, um, watching, let me hear what you have to say." Said Ichigo, doubtful that this creature was truly a benign messenger.

"Very well." said Verandi bluntly and she took a few steps back from him. Suddenly, her eyes changed from yellow to bright blue and golden wings rose from her back. Silently, she lifted herself into the air, her arms outstretched above her head. Runes shot from her hands and formed a ring between her hands which began to spin faster and faster until a rippling mirror like surface formed within the ring.

Verandi began to speak once more, this time her voice sounded like nothing he'd ever heard before; it was saturated with power and seemed to come from all around him in a multitude of harmonious tones. "Behold, I am Verandi, one of the three Nornir; the heralds of Destiny. I bring a vision of things to come.

Take heed and remember well what you see here today." As she fell silent, the ring of runes between her hands burst into blue flame and the mirror like surface within began to show many different images, flicking through them far too fast for Ichigo to notice any detail within them. Suddenly, it went dark then began to fill with a multitude of figures clad in flaming armour, each wielding a flaming sword. Ichigo could see as the mirror's view panned over the multitude that these creatures seemed to be a vast army of hollows. The mirror now turned to show their destination, it was unmistakable; this army of hollow was charging straight for Seireitei, washing over it like a burning tide. Just then the mirror went black once more for a moment, then showed the same mass of hollows pouring through countless senkaimon onto earth and ravaging all in sight, setting everything alight as they swept around the globe. Now the mirror showed the earth wreathed in flame slowly dissolving into nothingness until everything went black.

"This is what is destined to happen should you fail to heed this warning. What you have just beheld is Ragnarok; the end of all things." Said Verandi.

"If this is really going to happen, what can I do to stop it? How can one man stand against such a relentless tide of destruction?" Asked Ichigo, his voice trembling with shock.

"Four warriors united by blood shall stand as one before this great tide and by their might and the strength of those that stand with them, they shall vanquish the darkness." Said Verandi as the runes dispersed and she fell back to earth.

"What on earth did that mean?" asked Ichigo as she touched down before him.

"That is for you to fathom." Said Verandi, now speaking in her soft and alluring voice once more.

"How long do I have to figure this out?" Asked Ichigo desperately.

"I foresee that many years have yet to pass before these things come to pass, but rest assured that destiny waits for no one; Ragnarok _is_ coming and you _must_ be ready by then else the vision that you saw shall come to pass. Now I shall take my leave." With that said, Verandi opened a Garganta behind her and leapt inside, snapping it shut as soon as she passed through.

Ichigo was left in a daze, had Verandi been serous? If so, how could he stand against such overwhelming odds? What could he do? What should he do? It was all too much for him to process.

He was just about to head back to the car when he noticed that the three Gillian were still cowering in the forest. "Well, I may as well clean up this mess." He thought and with that he went bankai once more and took care of the three Gillian before returning to the car.

Once he re-entered his body, he looked over to Rukia, it was obvious that she was desperate to hear what he'd discovered but he told her in a whisper that he'd explain everything when they got back to the hotel. They were stuck there for another five hours before the Australian Army had managed to get the traffic moving again using bridging vehicles to create a temporary crossing across the ravine.

They arrived back at the hotel just after one in the morning and after saying goodbye to Bruce, tiredly made their way inside. After dropping their bags down in front of the wardrobes Ichigo threw himself down onto the bed and lay there staring at the ceiling. Rukia sat on his bedside cabinet, just as she had done on the morning of their departure for Australia Zoo. Ichigo looked over at her; it was obvious that she was waiting to hear about what had created that ravine. "Well," said Rukia impatiently; "what happened out there today? Oh and don't try and say it was nothing, I know you went bankai not once but twice."

Ichigo sighed and began recounting every detail of his encounter with Verandi and her six Gillian thralls. Rukia sat motionless and emotionless the whole time and even after Ichigo had finished, she sat there deep in thought. "What do you think Rukia? Have you ever encountered anything like this before?" asked Ichigo tentatively. Rukia only shook her head slightly and returned to her thoughts. "Rukia, there's no sense worrying about it right now; according to Verandi we have many years to think about it before this Ragnarok comes, if it ever does." Said Ichigo comfortingly.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Sighed Rukia; "But still, I think that we shouldn't dismiss it as nonsensical; the fact remains that she was able to enthral six Gillian gives her some amount of credibility, not to mention that she dispelled your bankai with ease."

"Don't remind me." Said Ichigo half jokingly as he pulled back the covers and began dismantling the pillow wall he had erected on their first night at the hotel. Soon he had remade the bed and the excess pillows were stacked by the door. "Alright, that's that." Yawned Ichigo as he headed for the bathroom to get ready for bed. When he returned, he noticed Rukia standing beside the bed in only her underwear holding her nightie by its shoulder straps with a puzzled look on her face. "What is it Rukia?" asked Ichigo as he dried his hair.

"I can't decide whether or not to wear it." she replied, still staring at the nightie.

"Well, I don't mind either way." Said Ichigo as he slipped into bed.

"You're no help." Replied Rukia jokingly.

"Well, if you can't decide what to wear, just wear nothing." Said Ichigo with a smile. Rukia shot him a dark look for a moment then smiled and nodded then began to remove her bra. "Wait Rukia, I was only joking." Said Ichigo desperately, for he knew he would lose control if she were completely naked beside him. Rukia only smiled and picked up the nightie from where it lay then slipped it over her head.

"You didn't think I was really going to sleep in the nude did you?" asked Rukia with a mischievous smile as she got into bed. "I know you probably wouldn't be able to handle it." she added as she pulled the covers around her shoulders.

"What are you saying? Do you really think that I don't have any self control? Let me tell you that I have a great amount of self control." Protested Ichigo, trying to sound offended, but knowing that she was completely right.

"Alright," chuckled Rukia; "I'm sorry, now let's try to get some sleep." Ichigo nodded in agreement and they were soon sound asleep.

The next morning, they were standing together on the balcony looking out over the beach. "So what shall we do today?" asked Rukia turning to Ichigo.

"Not sure really." Sighed Ichigo; "I guess we could go to the beach again." He added looking over to Rukia. Her face lit up at the prospect of revisiting the beach but before she could say anything, the phone that Bruce had given them began to ring. "That's odd, maybe we left something in the car last night." Said Ichigo heading inside to answer the phone. Rukia remained on the balcony enjoying the warm breeze. As she turned around, she saw that Ichigo's face was ashen and he was standing there like a statue; something was terribly wrong.

"What's wrong Ichigo?" asked Rukia as she stepped back inside.

"It's Bruce's wife, she fell down the stairs. She's still alive but seems to be paralyzed from the waist down." Said Ichigo mournfully.

"Seems to be?" asked Rukia; "Paralysis is quite easy to identify, hasn't he called for an ambulance?"

"No, not yet, he called us first; he wants to know if you can help her." Replied Ichigo, his eyes still fixed on the floor.

Rukia realized at once what he meant and why he hadn't called the ambulance. "Of course I'll try, I'm certain I'll be able to do it." said Rukia determinedly.

"Then I'll ask Bruce to pick us up at once." Said Ichigo. Rukia nodded in agreement and went to get ready as Ichigo called Bruce back.

Ten minutes later they were waiting outside the hotel for Bruce. As his car screeched to a halt before the hotel, they ran over and got in. moments later, they were speeding towards Bruce's house.

"I can't thank you enough for this guys." Said Bruce as they drove. It was obvious that he was doing his best to hold back his tears.

As they drove on, Rukia suddenly realized where they were; they were driving up Wolfe Street, the same street that they had walked along to find the Bogey Hole a few days earlier. Soon, they turned off onto church street and Bruce pulled over before a brick house with a green door and a small balcony framed by a round alcove. They could hardly believe that they'd walked past Bruce's house without realizing it a few days previously. Wasting no time, all three hopped out and rushed inside. "She's in the living room with the kids." Said Bruce quietly as he led them into the house.

As she entered the living room, Rukia saw his three children kneeling beside a pullout sofa-bed on which an elegant woman in her mid thirties lay. The youngest of the three children was crying and her elder brother had his arm around her shoulders trying to comfort her whilst the eldest knelt there motionless, looking at her mother's face. She seemed calm despite her injuries, or, most likely was putting on a brave face for her children. Just then she noticed that they had company. "Hello there, I'm Heather. Are you the one my husband told me about?" she asked weakly.

"Yes I am." Said Rukia soothingly; "I'll have you feeling better in no time." Heather smiled back at her. It was plain to Rukia that she was in a lot of pain but was trying her best not to show it.

"Alright kids, I think we'd best leave her to it." said Bruce, trying to sound cheerful, trying and failing miserably. Slowly, his children arose and followed him into the dining room, Ichigo closed the door behind them and then followed Bruce. Ichigo leant against a wall and closed his eyes, trying to sense Rukia's riatsu more clearly. Suddenly, he felt something tugging at his shirt. Opening his eyes, he noticed that it was the youngest of the three children; she looked about 5, no wonder she had been crying.

"Mister, can your friend really help my mummy?" she asked nervously.

Kneeling, Ichigo rested his hands on her shoulders. "Your mummy will be all better in no time, trust me." Said Ichigo reassuringly. The little girl nodded then dried her tears and returned to her father's side.

"Now Millie, don't bother the man." Said Bruce reprimandingly.

"It's alright." Said Ichigo; "I think this may take a while though, it took her three hours to heal me, but I'm sure she'll be able to do it so don't worry and try to be patient."

Meanwhile, Rukia had begun healing Heather and as she had expected it was turning out to be quite a difficult task. Skin and muscle was one thing, even bones were simple enough but reconnecting nerves and repairing internal organs was another matter entirely; not impossible, but very meticulous and time consuming work.

The task at hand was a lot more complex than the severed nerves causing the paralysis; Heather had also suffered multiple fractures of the vertebrae and ribs not to mention bruising on some of her internal organs. Thankfully Rukia's skills in healing were on a par with a sixth seat officer of the fourth division.

Eventually, after six hours, Rukia had done all she could, she was completely drained. "Alright, that should just about do it." she said tiredly; "Try to get up, but take it easy."

Slowly, Heather sat up and then swung her legs off the bed. "Wow, I can't believe it, I was paralyzed from the waist down by that fall. I was sure that I'd be in a wheelchair for life but thanks to you it's as if that accident never happened. I don't know how you did it, but thank you so much." Said Heather as she stood up.

"You're welcome." Replied Rukia, smiling weakly. Rukia moved to get up but as she did she lost her balance and began to fall. Thankfully, Heather caught her and helped her to sit down on the bed. "I'm sorry, I guess I used up too much energy and left myself a little weak." Said Rukia apologetically.

"Will you be alright?" asked Heather earnestly.

"Yes, I'll be fine, I just need a little rest." Replied Rukia.

"Alright, just rest here for as long as you wish, I'll go and give my family the good news." Said Heather. Rukia only nodded in reply. Heather headed for the door but just as she did Ichigo burst in with a worried expression on his face.

"Is everything alright?" he asked as he came suddenly face to face with Heather.

"Yes everything is fine, your friend is just a little tired out, that's all." Replied Heather reassuringly. Looking past her, Ichigo noticed that Rukia had collapsed on the bed. He rushed over to her and knelt by her side.

"Rukia, are you alright?" he asked taking hold of her hand.

"I'm fine Ichigo. I've just used up too much energy. I just need to rest for awhile." Replied Rukia, forcing a weak smile.

"Man, you overdid it didn't you? What ever am I going to do with you." said Ichigo jokingly. Rukia only smiled back, too weak to answer him. "Well, I guess I've got no choice but to let you rest then." Sighed Ichigo as he followed Heather out of the room.

The scene when Heather walked into the dining room was one that Ichigo would not soon forget. The expressions of pure unbridled joy on the faces of her children and husband would remain in his memory for years to come. He knew what it was like to lose his mother and he knew that these children must have been filled with despair, not knowing whether or not she was going to pull through. They had probably been fighting back the urge to cry all this time and now their tears did flow, though not as tears of sadness but as tears of joy. He could not help but smile as he stood there in the doorway watching Bruce and his family.

Eventually, Bruce walked over to Ichigo; "Thank you so much for saving my wife; if it weren't for you, she'd be in a wheelchair right now or worse…" He tailed off as the thought of what could have been began to overwhelm him.

"It's not me you need to thank, it's Rukia." Said Ichigo flatly, leaning against the doorway. "She's resting at the moment; she gave it her all to heal you wife so just let her rest for a bit."

Bruce nodded in agreement; "Kids, stay out of the living room for now and try to keep it down so she can rest." Said Bruce turning to his three children. The two younger children headed upstairs to play quietly but his eldest daughter stayed sitting motionless at the table. "What is it Lauren?" asked Bruce, seeing that something was still troubling his daughter.

"It's my fault." She said in barely more than a whisper.

"What do you mean Lauren?" Asked Bruce.

"It's my fault Mum got hurt; I left that pile of clothes at the top of the stairs. I'd meant to pick them up after I'd finished cleaning my room." Replied Lauren haltingly, fighting back her tears.

"Lauren it's alright, I know you didn't mean for any of this to happen, it was an accident pure and simple. I'm not annoyed, so cheer up, I forgive you." Said heather in a soft soothing tone. As Lauren's eyes met Heather's she dissolved into tars once more, falling into her mother's warm embrace.

The bright lights of Bruce's living room dazzled Rukia as she awoke. She sat there for a few moments puzzled by her surroundings. Eventually she remembered where she was. She still felt a little tired and weak but she felt that shed already imposed on Bruce and heather too much so she struggled to her feet and made for the door. As she entered the dining room she saw Ichigo, Bruce, Heather and Tyler, Bruce's son, playing cards at the table. "So, who's winning?" asked Rukia cheerily.

"Rukia!" exclaimed Ichigo, jumping up from the table; "How are you? Have you recovered?" he asked, rushing to her side.

"I'm fine Ichigo." She said reassuringly. "So, how long was I out?" she asked.

"I'd say about four hours." Replied Ichigo smiling warmly.

"Four hours? You can't be serious Ichigo. There's no way I've slept that long." Retorted Rukia in disbelief.

"Well, nearly four hours, it's quarter past six now." Said Ichigo, showing her his watch to prove his point.

"I apologise for troubling you so much." Said Rukia turning to Bruce, her cheeks red with embarrassment.

"You've got nothing to apologize for Rukia; you needed to rest, that's all there is to it. Besides after all you've done for us, there's no way we'd begrudge you using our living room for a few hours." Replied Bruce cheerily. Rukia was glad to see Bruce back to his old self once more.

"Well, thank you for your kindness…" said Rukia but Ichigo cut her off mid sentence.

"C'mon Rukia, you don't need to be so formal; relax a little." Said Ichigo, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Looking up at him, Rukia saw that he was smiling brightly. She nodded shyly in agreement; embarrassed by Ichigo's sudden embrace, though she was enjoying it too much to tell him to stop.

"I guess we'd better get going now Ichigo." Said Rukia at last; "Why don't we walk, the fresh air will do us some good."

"Not a chance." Said Bruce; "we've decided to take you both out to dinner. It's the least we can do and we won't take no for an answer."

"Well, there you have it, I guess we're staying a little longer." said Ichigo smiling.

"But… but…" stammered Rukia in protest.

"No buts Rukia, sometimes you just have to go with the flow." Said Ichigo sternly.

Soon they were heading along the streets of Newcastle once more. The drive only took a few minutes and before they knew it, they pulled up near Newcastle docks. "Alright, here we are." Said Bruce cheerily, but as Ichigo got out, he could see no sign of a restaurant, only docks, a museum and what seemed to be a block of condos.

"So, where is this restaurant?" asked Ichigo. Bruce just pointed toward the condos and so they followed him and Heather. As they neared the building Ichigo noticed the sign on the wall which read, 'The Dockyard' so it was there after all.

Heading into the restaurant, they sat at one of the tables in a quiet corner of the restaurant. For a while they sat reading the menus, Ichigo having to help Rukia from time to time. Eventually everyone had decided what they wanted and Bruce went up to the bar to order.

"So, how long have you two been together?" Asked heather as she placed her menu back in the holder. Ichigo and Rukia looked at one another speechless. Just how much had Bruce told her about them? And what did she mean by 'together'? "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry, I was just curious. You see, at least according to Bruce, you two have changed quite a bit since you arrived in Australia. I'm just curious; I was wondering if you only realized your feelings for one another whilst in Australia or if you'd been keeping them hidden from one another for a long time before your holiday."

"Well, we've known each other for about five years now and, at least for me, you are quite right, I'd been keeping my feelings hidden from her for quite a long time. As for Rukia, It's a similar story, if anything she'd been hiding her feelings far longer than I had." Replied Ichigo, somewhat embarrassed by the topic. "So how'd it go for you and Bruce?" asked Ichigo.

"Well, he was quite persistent and I quite enjoyed playing hard to get with him." she smiled wistfully as she reminisced.

"So I guess he confessed to you." Said Ichigo.

"Yes, and quite spectacularly; he was determined to show me how much he loved me, saying that he'd do anything I said to prove it. I tried to call his bluff by telling him to jump off the Cowper Street Bridge which we were walking along at the time. As you can probably guess, he jumped without a moment's hesitation. My hat was in my mouth as I looked over the parapet only to find him waving back up at me from the water with a big grin on his face. After a stunt like that, I had no choice but to confess to him as well. I guess I shouldn't have expected any less from a Special Air Services Regiment Colonel." Said Heather.

"I had no idea he was a military man." Said Ichigo.

"Yes, he was. He resigned just before he proposed, he told me that he would not let me become a soldier's widow, and once again he forced my hand and I accepted. Though I would have done so even if he hadn't resigned to be honest." Replied Heather.

"So what's all this about?" asked Bruce cheerily as he sat back down. "You weren't talking about me behind my back were you?" He asked looking over to his wife. She nodded, blushing slightly.

"I had no idea you were a military man Bruce." Said Ichigo.

"I was but I gave it up for something I thought even more important than my country; my family. I couldn't stand the thought of my wife becoming a soldier's widow or my children growing up without a father. That's why I gave it up and took a job as a driver." Said Bruce. Ichigo saw him in a whole new light. He had made such a choice without hesitation for those he loved. Would he have done the same if he were in Bruce's position? His mind then drifted to his work as a shinigami; should he give that up for Rukia's sake? He just didn't know. He knew Rukia probably wouldn't take it too well if he suggested it so he put it out of his mind for now. If the time ever did come that he had to make a similar decision, he just hoped he'd make the right one.

"Well, I guess that explains why you decided to cut yourself to see if Rukia was lying; a cut like that was probably nothing to you." Said Ichigo.

"What? You never told me about that." Retorted Heather; audibly annoyed.

"I'm sorry dear, but I couldn't think of any other way to confirm if what she was saying was true. Besides, it was a very shallow cut. Besides, if I hadn't confirmed her ability you would probably be sitting there in a wheelchair right now." Replied Bruce.

"Well I guess you knew what you were doing; geez, I just can't stay mad at you." Replied Heather, giving him a peck on the cheek. Just then, their food arrived and for a while conversation ground to a halt as they enjoyed their meal.

"So, what do you have planned for your last day in Australia?" asked Bruce as he placed down his cutlery.

"Well, I think we'll be going to the beach again, Rukia really liked it and we'll need to get an early night tomorrow because the flight leaves at six." Said Ichigo.

"Then I guess after tonight, the next time I see you will be when I take you to the airport." Said Bruce with a hint of regret in his voice.

"I guess so." Replied Ichigo.

The night wore on and eventually they returned to Bruce's car and he drove them back to the hotel. "Thank you very much for tonight." Said Rukia as she got out.

"You're welcome." Replied Heather; "It was the least we could do. you gave me my life back Rukia; if you hadn't been there I'd have been in a wheelchair right now and have become a burden on my family, doomed to miss out on and have them make do without so many things. Really, I can't thank you enough Rukia."

Rukia was blushing up to her earlobes and speechless. "Take care now; after tomorrow Rukia won't be here to fix you up." Said Ichigo jokingly. Heather laughed and in laughter they parted company and so ended a rather eventful day.

The next morning, Ichigo awoke to Rukia kneeling beside him. "Good morning." She said cheerily. She was already in her bikini, obviously eager to go. "Well I guess that you want to go to the beach then." Sighed Ichigo as he sat up. Rukia only nodded. "Well, there's some things we need to take care of first." Said Ichigo flatly. Rukia pouted in her disappointment. "Rukia, if we get everything packed up now, we won't have to worry about it tonight and we can enjoy ourselves at the beach knowing that we're not going to forget anything by rushing around in the morning." Said Ichigo calmly.

"I guess you're right." Agreed Rukia dejectedly. As Rukia began to get all of their purchases over their time in Australia, Ichigo came to the stark realization that there was no way that they'd be able to pack all of them into their two suitcases.

"Rukia, set aside your clothes for tomorrow then pack all of the things you brought with you into your suitcase, use the checklist to make sure you haven't forgotten anything. I need to go into town to pick up a few things for tomorrow." Said Ichigo as he got changed.

"You're buying more? I don't think we'll be able to fit what we have into our cases." Said Rukia in surprise.

"I know, that's why I'm going to buy another case, or two." Said Ichigo flatly as he headed out of the door.

Whilst he was gone, Rukia not only packed her clothes but also packed Ichigo's, leaving out an outfit for him to wear tomorrow along with his pyjamas. She then sorted out all of their purchases and double checked all the draws and wardrobes and even under the bed to make sure she hadn't missed anything. "Well, that's that." She said with a smile; "Now we should be able to get to the beach sooner.

Eventually Ichigo returned with a pair of suitcases similar in size to the ones they had brought with them; he also had a couple of other purchases with him. One in particular caught Rukia's attention. "What is this thing?" she asked.

"It's a didgeridoo, I bought it for O'san." Said Ichigo.

"What on earth do you do with it?" Asked Rukia as she peered through the wooden tube as if it were a telescope.

"You don't look through it, you play it, it's an instrument." chuckled Ichigo.

"Well, how was I supposed to know?" retorted Rukia, placing the didgeridoo on the bed.

"Let's get the packing finished then I'll show you how it works if you want." Said Ichigo as he began packing the clothes Rukia had bought into one of the cases and their souvenirs into the other.

Eventually everything was packed up and the four cases were lined up by the door; the didgeridoo lay forgotten on the bed as they headed out to the beach. Rukia was in her element once more running through the breakers whilst Ichigo watched from the shore, content in the knowledge that she was happy. Soon, she came back over and lay down beside him. "Why didn't you join me?" Sha asked rolling onto her side.

"I was thinking." Said Ichigo flatly.

"About what?" Chuckled Rukia.

"About how much this holiday has changed us. Three weeks ago, if someone had told me that I would confess to you on a balcony in the sunset, I would have laughed my head off in disbelief but look at us now, lying here three weeks later, content and relaxed, no longer hiding our emotions, no longer fearing being discovered, now we're completely open with one another. All I can say is that I'm so glad that you won this holiday and brought me along. I wonder how long it would have taken me to work up the courage to confess to you if we hadn't come here." Said Ichigo.

"Yeah, this trip has certainly changed us for the better." Agreed Rukia. Suddenly, Ichigo rolled over to come face to face with Rukia. Looking into her eyes, he placed his hand behind her head and kissed her squarely on the lips then lay down once more.

"Wh…what was that for?" asked Rukia, glowing with embarrassment.

"No reason, I just felt like it." said Ichigo with a grin.

"But there were people all around, why couldn't you wait until we got back to the hotel?" protested Rukia.

"What's the problem? Nobody here knows us and I'm not embarrassed about my love for you." Replied Ichigo.

Rukia just looked at him for a few moments then nodded to herself and pushed Ichigo onto his back then, lying on top of him, kissed him on the lips. "I guess you're right Ichigo, there was nothing to be embarrassed about after all. Now let's go for a swim." She said, smiling at him. Ichigo's expression was one of surprise; he never would have expected Rukia to make such a bold move in public.

They spent the next few hours swimming in the sea until the sun began to set and the sea began to grow cold. Just then, Ichigo noticed that they were in roughly the same spot that they were in on their first trip to the beach. "I guess I'll take another picture." He thought and, swimming up to Rukia, he draped his arm over her shoulders once more. for a few moments, they just floated there, looking into one another's' eyes until he pulled her into a kiss and pressed the shutter. The framing, once again was perfect and this time, the scene was made all the more intimate by the kiss.

Eventually, they made their way back to the shore, collected their things and made their way back to the hotel but not before taking one last photo of the beach. Once they had cleaned up and changed, Ichigo put their swimsuits and towels into a plastic bag then tied it up before putting it into one of the cases. Now the only things left to be packed were the pyjamas they were wearing.

Ichigo got something from his bedside cabinet and passed it to Rukia. "What's this?" She asked.

"It's a card for Bruce. Write a message inside and sign it. I've already done so." Said Ichigo.

She sat deep in thought for a while but eventually, albeit with some help from Ichigo with the translation, she had written what she wanted to say and passed the card back to Ichigo who, just before sealing it, slipped five hundred dollars inside; most of what was left of their spending money. He could think of nothing better to do with it than to leave it as a thank you for Bruce who had been such a great help to them.

Slipping the sealed card into his jacket pocket, Ichigo returned the jacket to the hook on the back of the door and was about to get into bed when he noticed the didgeridoo lying there in the middle of the bed. "Ah well, it's too long to fit in the case anyway." Sighed Ichigo and, picking it up, he secured it to the case which contained their souvenirs.

"Bruce will be here to pick us up at two, so we'd better get some sleep." Said Ichigo tiredly. As they got into bed a strange expression flashed across Rukia's face. "What is it Rukia?" He asked.

"It's nothing, I was just going to ask if we could um… if we could sleep together." She said sheepishly.

"But we are sleeping together." Chuckled Ichigo.

"No I was wondering if you could um… hold me… like you did on that first night in the cabin." replied Rukia in a shy whisper.

"Come here." Said Ichigo warmly and as she shuffled over to him, he embraced her tightly. "I told you that I'd never let you go and I mean it." he whispered to her. As he held her tightly.

"Ichigo…" breathed Rukia, too lost in the moment to say anything more.

"Goodnight Rukia." Whispered Ichigo warmly. Soon they had fallen asleep in each other's arms.

The next morning they awoke about half past one; Ichigo's alarm hadn't gone off, leaving them with quite a rush to get ready for three but they somehow made it and they headed out of the hotel's doors just as Bruce pulled up.

"Good morning mates." Said Bruce as cheerfully as ever. Once he'd helped them load their luggage into the boot, he opened the door for Rukia then Ichigo and finally got in himself. "Well this is it, you might want to take a picture of the hotel before we set off." Suggested Bruce and Ichigo did so. Soon, they were driving along Shortland Esplanade and then up church street.

"Didn't we arrive from the other direction when you brought us to the hotel?" asked Ichigo

"Yes we did, you have a good memory, but they wanted to see you off." Said Bruce gesturing to his left. Looking out of the window they saw that Bruce's family were standing in the doorway waving at them. Ichigo was dumbstruck; all he could do was wave back and smile. He'd never expected Bruce's family to see them off. It was truly a touching gesture. Soon they were back en-route to Sydney Kingsford Smith International and the drive went by smoothly and two hours later, they had pulled up in the departures drop off zone. "Well, here we are." Sighed Bruce as he unloaded their luggage from the boot. "It's been a blast driving you two around, it didn't really feel like work at all."

"I agree Bruce, I've really enjoyed the time we've spent together. I feel like we've become good friends over the short time we've known each other. I hope we can keep in touch." Said Ichigo.

"Yeah, that'd be great mates. Besides, I wouldn't want to miss your wedding so be sure to drop us an invite." Said Bruce cheerfully, handing Ichigo a business card with his details. Both Ichigo and Rukia were blushing crimson.

"Um, I think it's a bit to soon for that." Said Ichigo eventually.

"I was right about the two of you and I'm sure you'll be tying the knot soon enough, trust me." Said Bruce.

"Alright Bruce, we'll be sure to send you an invite if that day comes. Oh, and before I forget, we've got something for you. Don't open it until you get home though." Replied Ichigo, handing Bruce the card.

"Not '_if_', but '_when_' mates, trust me and you didn't have to get us anything." Said Bruce.

"It's no trouble at all. Well I guess we'd better get going." Said Ichigo reluctantly.

"Right-o, goodbye and have a safe flight." Said Bruce.

"Thanks, you take care and give our regards to your family." Said Ichigo.

"Will do." replied Bruce as he got into his car.

"Goodbye Bruce, we'll miss you." Said Rukia

"I'll miss you both too. I'll certainly never forget this fortnight and all you did for us Rukia." Said Bruce as he pulled out.

The two of them stood there on the pavement waving until Bruce was out of sight then, after taking one last photo of them together at the entrance, and turning their back on the country which had changed them forever they headed into the airport.

A.N.

Well, here it is finally. I'm sorry that it took so long to finish but I've had no end of trouble with this one. I've rewritten so much of it countless times; for example the zoo itself originally took up about 10k. I'm sorry if I got carried away at a couple of points, especially the first night in the cabin. Please let me know what you thought of the chapter. As always, thanks to my readers for your comments and encouragement. The next chapter is entitled 'The Truth at Last' and in it I'll finally reveal what has been troubling Rukia for so long. The next chapter will be shorter and hopefully not take nearly as long as this one. I won't give an estimation on its release but I'll keep you posted via my page. Mina Arigatou, soushite Sayonara.


	6. The Truth at Last

**Chapter Six: The Truth at Last**

Sitting down at one of the benches, Ichigo began rummaging through his rucksack whilst Rukia looked on. Eventually he pulled out the prize envelope and their passports. He handed Rukia her ticket and passport then, placing his own ticket and passport down beside him, he returned the now empty envelope to his bag.

The check-in desks were nearly deserted for the time being so, slinging his rucksack over his shoulder he headed over, Rukia following closely behind.

"Good morning and welcome to Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport, how may I be of service?" asked the woman behind the desk. Ichigo handed over his ticket and his two cases. Everything went smoothly for him and he was about to head back to the benches to wait for Rukia when he came to the sudden realization that she'd probably have some trouble with the language barrier.

"Excuse me, would it be alright if I stayed around whilst you deal with my girlfriend. She isn't fluent in English so she may have some problems." Said Ichigo. The clerk agreed and Ichigo called Rukia over and with his help she soon had her boarding pass in hand and they were heading toward security.

Rukia was blushing as they walked along; she may not have understood everything that he'd said at check-in but she had picked up on one word in particular. He'd really called her his girlfriend, she felt lightheaded just thinking about it. "What's wrong Rukia?" asked Ichigo as he noticed her dropping back. She shook her head and smiled but did not say anything. Gently, she linked her arm through his and rested her head on his shoulder. She knew that there was nothing to be embarrassed about whilst they were still in Australia, but as soon as they were back home she'd have to contain herself so she was going to enjoy this opportunity to fawn on Ichigo to the fullest. As for Ichigo, he was more than content to let her fawn over him as much as she wished. He truly enjoyed seeing Rukia so happy. They made their way to security and thankfully got through without incident.

There was still some time before their flight so they meandered through the various shops and kiosks. Eventually, they found a café and sat down at one of the tables. Looking out of the window, Rukia watched the lights of the aircraft taxiing back and forth and remembered how she had felt two weeks ago watching the aircraft at Narita; she was truly a different person now. Back then, she was nervous, uncertain and even a little scared; driven almost to breaking point by her anxiety. Now she was calm, relaxed and content. She wished she could go back and tell herself not to worry; tell herself that in two weeks time all of her worrying and uncertainty would be nothing more than a rapidly fading memory.

"Ichigo…" began Rukia looking up, but as she did she noticed that he wasn't there. Looking around, she couldn't see him anywhere. His rucksack was still sitting on the table but there was no sign of where he'd gone. Standing up, Rukia searched the café for any sign of him, but as she turned round she came face to face with him, almost bumping into him. He was holding two mugs and he very nearly dropped them in surprise as Rukia spun around.

"What's wrong Rukia?" Asked Ichigo as he sat down, placing the two mugs on the table.

"I thought you'd left me behind." Said Rukia weakly, staring into the mug of hot chocolate which Ichigo had placed before her.

"Why would you think that? My rucksack was still on the table, I thought it'd be obvious that I'd just headed to get us some drinks." Said Ichigo trying not to laugh.

"So I'm just another piece of luggage to you am I?" Retorted Rukia, pouting slightly.

"What kind of logic is that?" Chuckled Ichigo; "I tried to tell you where I was going but you were lost in thought so I thought I'd just go and be back before you knew I was gone. You worry too much, try to relax a little." Replied Ichigo. Rukia smiled but gave no reply.

Soon, they headed out of the café and for their gate. Once again, they were granted advance boarding and they were soon settled in their seats awaiting departure. Out of the window, Rukia could see that the sun was just beginning to rise and picking up the camera from Ichigo's lap, she began taking a few pictures of their last Australian sunrise. She could hardly believe how fast the fortnight had flown by; it felt like only yesterday that she was sitting nervously next to Ichigo awaiting takeoff at Narita. Almost as if in answer, memories of their time in Australia began to flood back in on her and as they played in her mind, she could see just how much she had changed.

"Good morning, this is your captain speaking." Rukia jumped as the announcement began, suddenly drawing her attention. "There's been a slight delay due to a problem with the refuelling truck, but we should be taking off at oh seven hundred hours, which should put us on the tarmac at Narita by sixteen hundred hours local time. Thank you for flying JAL and enjoy your flight."

"This is it." Said Rukia quietly, half to herself and she returned to staring silently out of her window. As soon as the captain had finished, the cabin crew began their safety briefing as the aircraft was pushed back from the boarding gantry and the captain began taxiing to the runway. Rukia was silent the whole time, watching the lights on the apron pass by. Soon the captain had finished his prefight checks and the jetliner began hurtling down the runway and rose smoothly into the air. Even after the pilot had levelled out and the captain had turned off the seatbelt sign Rukia still sat silently staring out of her window.

Ichigo called to her but she gave no response. He was beginning to worry; she seemed to be slipping back into the way she used to be before their holiday. She seemed to be growing more distant, removed from everything; consumed by her fears and thoughts. Ichigo didn't like it. They had done too much and they had come too far for him to sit idly by and watch her slip into her old ways. He had to try something. He reached over and tapped Rukia lightly on the shoulder. She flinched and turned around with a start. "Wh-what is it Ichigo?" She said, a slight hint of nervousness in her voice.

"What's wrong Rukia?" He asked sternly, offering her a sweet from the bag in his hand.

"Th-thanks Ichigo," Said Rukia, taking one of the sweets from the bag "I don't know why I became so nervous; I guess I'm just worried about returning to Karukara." Said Rukia quietly, tailing off and looking down to unwrap the sweet.

"I thought we decided that we didn't have to hide it back in Brisbane." Said Ichigo.

"I remember Ichigo, but back then it seemed so far away; they were so far away, now we're hurtling towards them at hundreds of miles per hour and the more I think about it, the more I worry." Replied Rukia, looking into his eyes, searching for some sign of comfort.

"If thinking about it makes you worry, then the solution is simple: don't think about it." replied Ichigo half jokingly.

"I'm serious." Replied Rukia pouting slightly. "I'm worried about what will happen if your family finds out; they might start to hate me, your father may even throw me out of the house. If any of our friends, especially Orihime or Tatsuki were to find out, they'd probably never speak to me again…"

Ichigo placed his finger over her lips. "You're talking nonsense Rukia;" Replied Ichigo warmly; "There's no way that they'd hate you if they found out and O'san wouldn't throw you out. Even if he tried, I wouldn't let him. You've got to stop worrying Rukia, you're only hurting yourself."

"But what if Soul Society finds out? They might recall me and revoke your status and I'd be forced to return whilst you would be stuck here…" Said Rukia, tones of panic starting to creep into her voice.

"You're still talking nonsense Rukia." Replied Ichigo, wrapping his arm around Rukia's shoulders and pulling her close to him. "Have you already forgotten what I told you? I promised you that I'd never let you go and I wasn't speaking metaphorically. That means I won't let anyone take you away, not even if it's Yamamoto Genryusai himself. If they try, I'll stop anyone they send. I'll take them all on if I have to. I've done it once before and I'm not afraid to do it again. Now please stop all this senseless worrying, everything will work out alright, I promise."

Rukia didn't respond, but she certainly felt a little easier about the whole issue now, just having him hold her close calmed her and soon she had fallen asleep resting her head on his shoulder. Smiling, Ichigo began sketching her once more. Once he had finished, he dug out his other sketch and compared the two. At first, they seemed nearly identical but as he looked at them more closely he came to realize that whilst in his old sketch her expression radiated uncertainty and nervousness, in his new sketch she radiated calmness. However, as he looked closer, he could see that although she seemed calm on the surface, he could see that she still harboured doubts and fears, more even than those that she'd confessed earlier.

He knew, rather he suspected, that the origin of her doubts and fears lay neither in his family, nor their friends nor even in Soul Society, but rather within herself. Now that they were leaving Australia, she had found herself becoming distanced from the blazing emotions and all the distractions of their time there and she was no longer caught up in the moment, giving her mind time to focus on the future. She had once more begun to look within herself and now she was caught in a sea of doubts. Though she wanted to trust in him, to trust in their love, her mind was now bringing back all of her memories of the times when she tried to trust her heart before; memories of Kaien, of Hisana; memories of pain and loss: memories that had sealed away her emotions and feelings for countless years; memories that begged her not to risk her heart again. Yes, what she truly felt now was fear, fear of the bonds which they had now began to forge; an overwhelming fear of those bonds being broken, which threatened to undo all that had happened between them.

Her heart and mind were now in turmoil; no matter how much her heart wanted to trust him, her mind urged that she use extreme caution and that she not take that risk. For she knew in her mind that if she were to lose him, her heart could not take it. She would be completely broken; mind, body, heart and soul, with nothing and nobody to save her. That was the heart of her fears, the fear of falling into a fate worse than death: eternal despair. She had tasted it when she lost Kaien, but back then she had barely managed to hold on and only thanks to Ukitake Taichou had she pulled herself back from the precipice and recovered, but in her recovery her heart and therefore her emotions and feelings been sealed away.

This was how she had remained until she met Ichigo. Now he had finally broken the seal on her heart and she had begun to feel again and to be true to herself. Because of this, she knew that the bonds that they were forging were far stronger than any she had felt before and if they were to break, she would have no chance of salvation and would surely fall into the nadir of eternal despair, never to return.

Ichigo at first felt that this battle was one that she must fight alone, just as he had done when he sat by the riverbank all those years ago. Even so, as he looked into her eyes, he could see that she was suffering; he wished that there was something, anything that he could to help her. He remembered all too well how it felt to be lost in despair. If it hadn't been for his family, he would never have pulled through.

Yes, Rukia needed someone right now, just as he did back then. She needed to know that she didn't have to face it all alone, but what could he say that he hadn't already said? He sank into deep thought, trying desperately to find the right words. He could find none.

Gently, he draped his arm over her shoulders. "At least this way she'll feel that she isn't alone, even if I can't find the right words." He thought as he softly caressed her shoulder. Three more hours slipped without any sign of change from her; still she sat hunched over motionless, her head in her hands and her mind still in turmoil. Nonetheless, Ichigo kept his arm around her, pained that it was all he could do for her, but at least it was something. Gradually he felt the tenseness in her shoulders fade little by little. Evidently, she was nearing the end of her battle. Slowly, she sat up and opened her eyes. She noticed Ichigo's arm about her shoulders and looked up at him. As he looked into her eyes, he could still see some uncertainty in them but it was evident that the battle was over. She smiled slightly and he smiled back warmly.

"So, was it your heart or mind that won in the end?" Asked Ichigo softly.

"How…?" Breathed Rukia in response.

"How did I know?" Finished Ichigo; "You're forgetting that I was once in the same position, I know what you've been going through and I knew that you needed to know that you weren't alone; that's why I put my arm around your shoulders. It's alright Rukia, you don't have to bear it all yourself; it's alright to let it out. I'm here for you. So which side won out in the end?" Replied Ichigo.

Rukia's eyes wavered; she was shocked that he had understood her so completely; she had a hard enough time trying to understand it herself and for Ichigo to jump in and read her like a book was unnerving to say the least. Tears began to well up in her eyes. "I'm… I'm going to trust in my heart; in you. Only…" Began Rukia softly as her tears started to fall.

"Only?" asked Ichigo, though he knew what it was, he just wanted to hear it from her; he knew that she needed to let it out even though she was still trying to hold it back.

"Only I'm… I'm scared of what may happen in the future. I don't… I don't know if I could cope if I lost you…" Said Rukia weakly, her tear washed eyes shimmering.

"None of us can ever know what the future holds for us, but I promise you this: you will _never_ lose me Rukia." Said Ichigo firmly, pulling her into a strong embrace, her head resting on his shoulder. Lowering his head, he whispered into her ear; "Though I may not know what the future may bring, I promise you that nothing will take me away from you. I swear I will never let you fall into despair. You are mine and I am yours forever; nothing can change that fact." Now Rukia's tears began flowing in earnest. "It's alright, let it all out." Said Ichigo comfortingly. He began stroking her hair as her lips mouthed his name. Her hands grasped his shoulders tightly as she embraced him, all the while her tears fell unchecked into his shirt.

As she sat up, she noticed the damp patch on his shirt. "I'm sorry Ichigo." Said Rukia blushing.

"No worries." Said Ichigo with a smile. "It'll dry in no time, I'm just glad to have you talking again. Rukia smiled weakly. She was exhausted and Ichigo could see it. "Just rest for now, you need it." said Ichigo pulling her close once more so that her head was resting on his chest. She looked up into his eyes and smiled slightly in thanks. As she lay against him, she felt her cares ebbing away; driven off to make way for the warm feeling of security that Ichigo's embrace gave her. She felt her eyelids growing heavy and slowly she drifted off, still looking into Ichigo's eyes. Soon, Ichigo too drifted off and the remaining hours of the flight slipped by unheeded.

They were both awoke by the captain's announcement of their being on final approach to Narita. Ichigo began to pack everything back into his rucksack ready for landing. Just then, two pieces of paper fell from his lap. Picking them up, Rukia examined them, only to find that they were sketches of her. Holding up the sketches, she shot a reprimanding glare at Ichigo; "Just what are these Ichigo?" she asked.

"Um, nothing." Said Ichigo dismissively, blushing slightly as he reached over to take them from her.

Rukia pulled them back and placed them on her lap; "Just when did you draw these?" She asked, a sly smile creeping across her face.

I drew the top one when you fell asleep earlier and the other one I drew while you were asleep on the flight to Australia." Replied Ichigo sheepishly.

"Why would you want to draw me whilst I was asleep?" Asked Rukia, smiling mischievously as she raised an eyebrow.

Ichigo caught her meaning instantly. "I was bored, I just drew them to pass the time, it's not like there was anything else to do." Said Ichigo, trying to sound innocent and hoping that Rukia would drop it.

"All the same, I think I'll hold onto these, I don't want to know what you'd do if you were alone with them." Replied Rukia as she folded them into her pocket. "Come to think of it, I'd better search your room when we get back; who knows how many sketches of me you've got stashed away." She added darkly.

"Just what sort of person do you think I am?" Replied Ichigo hotly, turning away. After a few minutes of silence, he turned back with a look of realization in his eyes; "Ah, I get it now." He began, smirking slightly; "You're jealous of the fact that I _can_ draw something more than stick figures or those weird animals."

He'd really done it now; he'd struck a nerve with that last comment. Rukia glared at him, slowly drawing something out from her pocket. Click. Rukia brushed something across his face and moments later, he heard another click. Looking at her hand, he saw what he feared he would find; she was playfully juggling a black permanent marker with a thin smile on her face.

"Why do you even have that thing with you?" Asked Ichigo hotly.

"I cannot understand you monsieur; I'm afraid I don't speak French." Replied Rukia in her saccharine tone, still smiling slyly.

Ichigo now knew what she'd drawn; a handlebar moustache and monocle, just as she'd done numerous times before. It was embarrassing enough at the best of times, but what on earth would the passport control officer say? He shuddered to think. "Well done Rukia, how am I meant to get through passport control looking like this? Answer me that!" Said Ichigo crossly. He knew that the worst that would happen would be his getting poked fun at, but he wanted to see how Rukia would react all the same.

An expression of remorse flashed across Rukia's face; "I'm sorry Ichigo, I'd forgotten about that. I guess I overreacted." Replied Rukia sheepishly.

"Yeah, just a little. Don't worry about it. Something like this won't cause a problem." Said Ichigo flatly, patting her on the head patronizingly.

"Baka. I'm not a little girl Ichigo; don't treat me like one." Said Rukia hotly, pushing his hand away.

"I know Rukia, I certainly know that." Replied Ichigo warmly with a mischievous look in his eyes as they wandered over her body.

Rukia, catching his meaning, blushed crimson and turned away, covering her chest with her arms. "B-baka Ichigo." Retorted Rukia under her breath as her memories of their first night in Brisbane flooded back. Just then, the screech of rubber on tarmac brought an end to their little altercation. Ichigo packed his manga and the sweets back into his rucksack once more and placed it on his lap, ready to disembark.

Soon, they were waiting in line at passport control. Ichigo was looking down at the floor, trying to hide his face from view. The line seemed to be progressing rather slowly, only adding to Ichigo's nervousness. Rukia by contrast wasn't nervous at all; she was still thinking about that night in Brisbane with an ecchi grin on her face, her cheeks glowing red.

As Ichigo reached the passport booth, he could see that the officer inside was struggling to keep his composure. "What on earth happened to you? Have a fight with a pen salesman?" He asked, trying to hold back his laughter.

"Yeah, something like that." Chuckled Ichigo grimly, handing his passport to the man; "I made fun of her artistic talents." He added, gesturing over his shoulder at Rukia with his thumb.

"Well I'm glad I'll have this glass between her and me; no offence but I'd rather not go home tonight looking like you. Your passport is in order, you can go." Replied the officer, returning Ichigo's passport to him. Ichigo headed over to the benches just beyond the booths and sat down to wait for Rukia. Thankfully, Urahara's fake passport had once again passed the officer's scrutiny and Rukia headed over to join Ichigo.

"Where to now?" She asked cheerfully.

"The baggage carousel to collect our luggage then we'll head down to the platform and wait for a train to take us back home." Replied Ichigo flatly as he stood up. Rukia nodded and they headed to collect their suitcases.

Soon, they had collected their luggage and were making for the exit when Ichigo noticed a restroom sign. "Rukia, wait here a minute, I'll be right back." Said Ichigo as he placed his rucksack on the trolley. Rukia sat on the front of the trolley and waited for Ichigo to return from the bathroom, holding her head in her hands, lost in thought. Ten minutes later, Ichigo returned smiling. Looking up, Rukia burst out laughing. Ichigo's face was bright red, evidently, he'd scrubbed off all the permanent marker, leaving his face looking like it had been sunburned.

"Well I suppose it's a little better." Chuckled Rukia, taking a photo of him as he approached.

"I could hardly return home with all that on my face could I?" Chuckled Ichigo as he began to push their baggage trolley toward the exit. Soon, Rukia was standing alone on the platform with their luggage, waiting for Ichigo to come back after returning the baggage trolley. Strolling up to the edge, she peered along the tracks, hoping to see the train approaching. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder followed by a firm voice: "Geez Rukia, I thought I'd told you not to lean over the edge like that, what ever am I going to do with you?" Said Ichigo half patronizingly.

As she turned to face him, she saw that he was smiling. "I wasn't leaning over the edge Ichigo; I won't make that mistake again." Replied Rukia feigning annoyance.

"Alright, alright; my bad Rukia. I'm sorry." Apologized Ichigo, still smiling. Just then their train pulled into the station and they boarded. Unlike last time, the train was packed and neither of them could find a seat until they were over half way home. "Man, that wasn't fun." Sighed Ichigo as he flopped down into a seat at last. "If I'd known that this train was going to be so full, I'd have waited for the next one. How are you doing Rukia?" Asked Ichigo as she sat down beside him.

"Can't complain. I never knew these things could get so crowded." Sighed Rukia as she turned to Ichigo. For the rest of the train ride, they didn't say much. They were both too apprehensive about what would happen when they returned home.

Eventually, the train pulled into Karukara station and they both stumbled out onto the deserted platform. "Well we're back." Said Rukia, trying to sound happy, but her nervousness came through all too clearly. She rested her suitcases against one of the benches and stretched away her weariness. When she turned around, she noticed that Ichigo had set up his camera and tripod once more. "What are you doing Ichigo?" Asked Rukia, crossing the platform to stand beside him.

"I just thought I'd take one more photo of us below the station sign before we headed back home." Said Ichigo. Rukia walked over to the sign and stood smiling at the camera but Ichigo had something else in mind. Just as the amber glow of the street light above them was flickering into life, Ichigo set the camera's timer and strode over to Rukia's side.

Suddenly, he embraced her and pulled her into a deep kiss just as the camera flashed. As he pulled away, Ichigo saw that Rukia bore an expression of shock and was blushing heavily.

"Wh…what was that for?" Stammered Rukia, trying to recompose herself.

"Carpe Diem." Said Ichigo smiling warmly; "This may well be the last chance we'll get for a while so I wasn't going to let it slip by." He added as he packed up his tripod and slung his rucksack over his shoulder.

"But…but… but what if someone we know was watching?" Protested Rukia.

"Then I guess the cat would have been out of the bag." Said Ichigo dismissively as he collected his suitcases and made for the exit. Rukia followed suit until Ichigo suddenly spun on his heel to face her. "Or are you trying to say that you didn't like it?" He asked with a slight smile before continuing up the path.

"Baka. You know that's not it. I just wish you'd be more discreet about it." Said Rukia hesitantly as she followed him. He said nothing, but came alongside her and smiled. Suddenly, he leaned across and gave her a peck on the cheek.

"How's that?" Asked Ichigo with a wry smile.

"Baka. Are you _trying_ to get us discovered?" Asked Rukia reprimandingly.

"So I guess that means that you don't want me to be affectionate towards you?" Asked Ichigo, trying to sound disheartened.

"No, it's not that I don't want you to be affectionate with me. I um… I really quite enjoy it to be honest. Just try to pick your moments better. I don't want anyone to find out about us until we're… I'm ready to tell them. I…" Rukia tailed off when she realised that Ichigo was chuckling behind her. "You've been playing with me all along haven't you Ichigo?" Asked Rukia crossly.

"Yeah, but I couldn't help it." chuckled Ichigo; "You're just too damn cute when you get all flustered like that." He added, beaming back at her. Now Rukia was truly at a loss for words. On the one hand, Ichigo had been teasing her and made her say such embarrassing things. But on the other hand, no harm had been done and he'd been honest about it; plus, he'd just called her cute. Her head was spinning, at a loss as to how to act but she knew that she couldn't leave this unanswered.

Suddenly, Rukia stopped dead and released her suitcases' handles then turned to face Ichigo. She strode purposefully toward him whilst he could only look on in puzzlement. Rukia grabbed him roughly by the collar and pushed him back against the wall. Her right hand clenched into a fist and she drew it back. Ichigo braced himself and closed his eyes awaiting the imminent punch. Suddenly he felt something, but it wasn't a punch. Rukia had pressed herself against him and was kissing him firmly on the lips. As he opened his eyes in disbelief, Rukia pulled away and stood before him showing no emotion.

"Wh… What on earth was that Rukia?" Stammered Ichigo bewildered by her actions.

"Well now you know how you were making me feel." Chuckled Rukia. "Now will you restrain yourself for a while?" She asked. Ichigo didn't answer her; his expression was serious. "What is it Ichigo?" She asked, unable to determine what could have caught his attention so suddenly.

"Someone is watching us." Whispered Ichigo. Rukia began looking around nervously, but she couldn't see a soul in sight. She was just coming to the conclusion that it was Ichigo playing a trick on her again when a sleek black cat with bright yellow eyes and a crooked tail leapt over their heads from the wall behind Ichigo where it had presumably been sleeping. It landed softly behind Rukia, sat for a moment and gave them a knowing look before bounding off down the street.

"Well I guess it was just a cat." Said Ichigo, rubbing the back of his neck embarrassedly.

"Seems like you're even more on edge than I am." Replied Rukia smugly as she picked up her suitcases once more and they both pressed on toward home. Eventually they arrived. The windows were dark and everything seemed quiet inside. "Are you sure that we've come to the right place Ichigo?" Asked Rukia jokingly.

"Yeah, maybe they're all out." Suggested Ichigo jokingly as he headed for the door.

"Wait Ichigo." Said Rukia haltingly, Ichigo turned on the doorstep and she continued; "I'm not ready to tell your family about us just yet, so promise me you'll act like nothing happened between us okay?" Ichigo nodded and even as he reached for the doorknob, Rukia could see his expression change back to his usual grumpy self. She breathed a sigh of relief; he had everything under control.

As he opened the door, he saw Yuzu standing at the far end of the corridor humming merrily whilst she dusted some ornaments on a shelf. As she turned to see who was at the door, she continued dusting but as she saw Ichigo, she let the duster slip from her grasp and as it fell, it knocked a tanuki statue from the shelf.

Even before she could open her mouth, Isshin, alerted by the sound, barrelled through into the corridor and without hesitation charged at Ichigo, launching himself into a flying tackle whilst Yuzu looked on speechless. Ichigo released his suitcases' handles and ducked Isshin's tackle. Isshin hit the door with a thud and landed upside-down with his back against the door. As he looked up, he saw Rukia standing over him. "Oh, red." Breathed Isshin from where he lay. He was wearing a strange grin on his face. Looking down, Rukia realized what he'd meant and as her face flushed crimson, she clasped the hem of her summer dress tightly to her legs.

Just then, Karin burst through and forced Isshin to the ground. "Just where do you think you're looking Ero Goat-Chin?" She growled, pressing him into the ground with her foot on his sternum. "Yo Ichi-nii, did you have a good trip?" She added; now completely ignoring her father.

"Did you bring us back any souvenirs?" Asked Isshin before Ichigo could answer Karin's question.

"Geez, you've got some nerve." Barked Karin; "First, you peek up Rukia's skirt then you ask if they've brought you anything! You're ridiculous." Isshin bore the remorseful expression of a whipped dog.

Before Karin could fire off another round of insults, Ichigo spoke up; "Can't you two stop fighting for five minutes? He asked half-jokingly. Karin nodded and, somewhat reluctantly, stepped off Isshin and allowed him to stand, but she still kept shooting him dark looks. "I think Rukia and I will call it a night, I know I'm jetlagged and I'm sure she is too. We'll tell you about everything tomorrow." Said Ichigo firmly. Once more he grabbed his suitcases and headed for the staircase, Rukia following suit.

"Um… w…welcome back Oniichan." Said Yuzu meekly through her tears.

Ichigo dropped his suitcases at the foot of the stars and strode over to her. "Now now Yuzu, don't cry." Said Ichigo kneeling before her; "Anyone would think I'd been gone for years, it's only been two weeks so stop your crying." He added, wiping away her tears as he spoke. Yuzu smiled back at him as he stood up and made once more for the stairs, Rukia following close behind him.

Once upstairs, Ichigo flopped down onto his bed, leaving his suitcases in the middle of the floor. "What's wrong Ichigo? I'm sure you can't be tired already, so why did you want to head up here so quickly? Wouldn't your family have preferred it if we'd stayed down there a little longer?" Asked Rukia perching on the edge of the bed.

"If we had stayed down there, we'd undoubtedly be bombarded with questions." Replied Ichigo flatly.

"So? I don't see the problem; it's obvious that they'd be curious about what we got up to in Australia." Said Rukia offhandedly as she sat down beside him.

"Well there isn't a problem, or at least there wouldn't be if you were ready to tell them about certain things that happened over there." Said Ichigo with a sly smile.

The penny had finally dropped for Rukia. "I see what you mean." She said quietly. "So, what do we do?" she asked leaning against him.

"We'll need to get our stories straight; we'll need to make sure we don't tell them about certain things and gloss over others so that they don't get suspicious." Replied Ichigo.

"I see. I don't like the idea of lying to them, but we don't have a choice." Sighed Rukia.

"We do have one other choice." Replied Ichigo smiling. Rukia looked up expectantly at him, waiting for his answer. "We could just tell them everything." He said flatly.

"There's no way that's going to happen." Scowled Rukia; "Now let's concentrate and figure out what we need to cover up." She added firmly.

"Alright, let's start from when we arrived in Australia." Ichigo paused a moment while he thought back; "We'd better not tell them that we were sharing a bed in the hotel, even if I had found that ingenious solution to the problem."

"Come off it Ichigo," Said Rukia, slapping him on the back; "all you did was make a pillow wall. However, it would be easier if we just told them that there were separate beds if it comes up. Next would be that accidental kiss on the balcony; I guess we could pretend that it never even happened."

"Then I guess the next non-happening would be my falling from the cliff and just about everything else that happened that night. After that would be the cabin in Brisbane. Once again, we just need to say that we were sleeping in different beds. Although I doubt we'd be admitting _anything _about that night anyway." Said Ichigo. Rukia blushed a little at his implication.

"I guess that just about covers it then, apart from a few kisses which we'll not mention." Said Rukia.

"Not quite; there's the whole incident with Heather." Replied Ichigo.

"Why? That hasn't got anything to do with our relationship, has it?" Asked Rukia somewhat confused.

"No, but it does have a lot to do with your being a shinigami." Replied Ichigo.

"I see what you mean, but can't we use the same explanation that we used with Bruce and Heather?" Asked Rukia.

"Not really," Said Ichigo; "How would we explain how Bruce found out about your ability if we've already agreed that I never fell of the cliff and therefore you never healed me." Ichigo sank into thought once more.

"We could just pretend that the whole day ever happened." Suggested Rukia.

"No, that wouldn't work." Sighed Ichigo; "That would leave us with a blank day to fill in and with such a large fabrication, I'm sure they'd easily poke holes in it and we'd be found out. No, we need to stick as close to the truth as possible but what can we say?" Asked Ichigo fustratedly.

They both sat in contemplation for a while, neither able to find a solution. Suddenly, Rukia spoke up; "What if we say that Bruce simply invited us over to meet his family and take us out for a meal as a thank you for taking him to the zoo with us?" Asked Rukia hopefully.

"Yeah, that'll work." Said Ichigo sitting up; "The only other thing we need to cover is the issue with Verandi; I guess we can just say that it was a landslide that caused the break in the road."

"Sure. I guess that just about covers it, how about we call it a night?" asked Rukia, hopping up from the end of the bed. She silently stripped down to her underwear and just stood looking at him.

"What is it Rukia?" asked Ichigo, searching for his pyjamas in his bedside cabinet.

"You don't mind if we sleep together do you?" She asked hesitantly.

"Don't you think that's a little risky?" Asked Ichigo as he changed into his pyjamas.

"Why?" Asked Rukia, pulling back the covers.

"What if someone comes in tomorrow morning and sees us sleeping together? I'd like to see you explain that one away." Replied Ichigo flatly.

"Don't worry about it." Replied Rukia softly; "I'm always up long before you anyway." Said Rukia softly.

"Alright, but put something on at least, just in case." Sighed Ichigo. Rukia smiled back at him as she slipped into her nightie then slid between the covers beside him.

The monotonous drone of the traffic outside was in stark contrast to gentle ebb and flow of the Tasman Sea that had filled their ears only a night before. Though their surroundings were familiar, they still seemed alien as they lay there together. Then it struck him; it was _because_ they were together that everything seemed alien or, rather, new and as he looked over at the young woman who now rested her head on his arm as a slight smile spread across her face as she slept, he found himself smiling too as he realized how thankful he truly was to have her there beside him. He gently brushed her fringe aside then kissed her softly on the forehead. "Goodnight Rukia." He whispered and she smiled slightly in her sleep in response.

The next morning, the dawn broke behind a thick red layer of cloud unheeded by neither Rukia nor Ichigo, but Isshin, who now crept silently into his son's room had heeded it. He crept cautiously to the foot of the bed and prepared to launch himself into one of his typical wake-up flying tackles. Just as he drew himself up for the leap, he noticed that something was most certainly amiss. Stumbling forward, he straightened himself up once more and approached the foot of the bed. Sure enough, sticking out of the end of the bed was a small slender foot and as he looked at it, it was slowly pulled back beneath the covers. Isshin stood there in the dim light for a few moments pondering to whom the foot may belong.

Eventually, he crept to the head of the bed and took hold of the corner of the duvet. He gently pulled back the covers, fully expecting to find either Yuzu or Karin lying beside Ichigo, most likely Yuzu. As he came to the realization of who lay beside his son, he began to back up slowly… right into Ichigo's bedside table. Amid the clatter of the bedside table's contents being unceremoniously scattered about the room as it toppled over under his weight, Isshin let out a cry of intermingled pain and surprise. As he sat up, he heard soft footsteps quickly approaching from outside the room. Moments later, Yuzu burst in with intermingled fear and worry written across her face.

"Are you okay?" Squeaked Yuzu as she ran to Isshin's side, instinctively beginning to tidy up the mess he'd made.

"It'd take more than some old bedside table to hurt me." Said Isshin proudly, doing pushups as he spoke to drive home his point. Just then Rukia stirred and sat up and as she sat there bleary-eyed surveying her surroundings, she suddenly found herself face to face with Isshin.

Her jaw dropped in surprise, and fear began to well up inside her. Slowly, she stepped out of bed and stood unsteadily before him, dreading what he'd say and clueless as to how she'd respond to him. He just stood there, his expression stern and intimidating, for what seemed like an age. Yuzu was still tidying up in the background. Rukia dared not move from the spot, not even to wake Ichigo; she would have to think of something herself but she was far too nervous to think.

"Ichigo!" Bellowed Isshin forcefully, causing Rukia to flinch. "Just what is the meaning of this?" Ichigo slowly sat up bleary eyed and as he took in the situation, he too was at a loss for words; he just sat there looking up at his father. The moments seemed to drag out ever longer under his father's piercing gaze. How could he get himself out of this without revealing his relationship with Rukia and breaking her trust?

"Oh I've been waiting for this moment for a long, long time." Said Isshin slowly as if savouring every syllable whilst wearing a sly smile. Slowly, his piercing gaze shifted over to Rukia; she turned away under its heat. Smoothly, he dropped into a squat and steepled his fingers under his chin resting his elbows on his knees. As she looked down at him, Rukia could feel the air growing heavier around her, she felt trapped; the sound of her own heartbeat filled her ears, growing ever swifter. She knew she couldn't reveal their relationship to him, at least not yet; not until she was sure that Ichigo would agree with her plan, but how could she make it out of this?

Suddenly, Isshin threw his arms around her waist and pressed his ear to her stomach; needless to say, Rukia was dumbfounded. She instinctively moved to push him away but her hands froze short of his shoulders, she realized that doing so would only compound any suspicions that Isshin had. "Finally, after all these years of waiting, I'm going to be a grandpa!" Exclaimed Isshin gleefully.

"D…Does that mean I should start calling you Oneesan now Rukia?" Asked Yuzu tentatively, cautiously approaching her. Once again, Rukia could say or do nothing. Desperately, she turned to Ichigo, her eyes pleading for him to bail her out.

"Stop talking nonsense!" Barked Ichigo as he pulled his father off Rukia; "You know there's no way that you'd hear anything, it's impossible." Growled Ichigo as he stood over his father. Rukia gave him a stunned look which made him realize just what he'd implied. He stood there open-mouthed as he realized that Yuzu was standing beside Isshin with a bemused look on her face. How on earth was he going to get out of this? He flashed a pleading glance over to Isshin.

He nodded slightly in response. "I suppose daddy got a little overexcited. You're right Ichigo, even if she was pregnant, there's no way I could hear or feel anything this soon." Sighed Isshin rubbing the back of his neck as he straightened up. Yuzu looked up at her father disappointedly. "Don't worry Yuzu; I doubt it will be too long before you're an auntie." Said Isshin gleefully, ruffling her hair as he turned to leave.

"There's not much chance of that when there's nothing going on between Rukia and I." said Ichigo heatedly.

"Oh, is that so? Then why were you two sharing a bed?" Asked Isshin slyly.

Ichigo was at a loss for a logical explanation. This time Rukia came to his aid; "Um, I'm to blame for that." She said sheepishly; "After the heat of Australia I felt a little cold last night so I crept into his bed. I'd planned to wake before him and return to my own bed but I guess my being jetlagged caused me to oversleep. I'm sorry for any confusion I caused."

Isshin frowned at her then smiled; "Don't get our hopes up like that." Whined Isshin half jokingly. "Alright Yuzu, let's leave these two lovebirds alone." He added as a parting shot as he slipped out of the room. Yuzu followed suit after apologizing to Rukia.

For a few moments Ichigo and Rukia just stood there dumbfounded. Letting out a sigh of relief, Rukia flopped backwards onto the bed whilst Ichigo slid down the wall, ending up sitting on the floor beside the bed. "Man, that was a close one." Chuckled Ichigo.

"Too close." Groaned Rukia; "I really thought it was over there for a while."

"Well at least it showed you that O'san and Yuzu weren't opposed to the idea." Said Ichigo.

"I… I guess so…" Admitted Rukia; "But that doesn't mean I'm ready to tell them yet." She added hastily.

"Nevertheless, we should head down soon or they'll get suspicious. Besides, we've got two suitcases of souvenirs to hand out." Said Ichigo cheerily.

"Alright, just give me a few minutes to sort out the clothes." Replied Rukia as she headed over to one of the suitcases.

"That'll give me chance to sort out the photos on the camera." Said Ichigo as he fished out the camera bag. His main objective was to shift any compromising photos onto a separate memory card so his family wouldn't find them. Too excited by the sorting, Rukia decided that she didn't want to wait for Ichigo and shot off downstairs with the suitcase whilst Ichigo remained, sorting out the remainder of the souvenirs.

When he entered the living room, he stumbled upon an unusual sight; Karin's hands were clasped behind her back as she stood across from Rukia. However, she wasn't wearing her usual attire of shorts, t-shirt and a baseball cap but was wearing a light blue summer dress and her cap had been replaced with a summer hat and her trainers with sandals. "Well, well Karin, if you go out dressed like that; someone may mistake you for a girl." Joked Ichigo as he flopped down in an armchair, placing the suitcase containing the souvenirs beside him.

Karin shot him an indignant glance and turned back to Rukia, who didn't even acknowledge his presence. Just then, Yuzu came barrelling into the room in similar attire to Karin, although her dress, which was an almost identical cut, was pale yellow. "So, what do you think?" asked Yuzu, doing a twirl to show off the dress, immediately triggering a flurry of compliments from Karin and Rukia. Before he could open his mouth to speak, Rukia shot him a warning glance. Clearly, she didn't want him making any more jokes at his sisters' expense. "You look great Yuzu." Said Ichigo at last, keeping one eye on Rukia as if looking for her approval. "Why am I so concerned about her approval anyway?" he thought; "They're _my_ sisters; I can tease them if I want to." A thin smirk spread across his face as he realized how childish he sounded.

"What is it Oniichan?" asked Yuzu dubiously, noticing his expression. Rukia also gave him a stern look. He'd really been put on the spot now. Eventually, he told her that he was merely thinking about something that had happened during their holiday but Karin was still a little suspicious.

Just then Isshin came thundering down the stairs and burst into the living room, getting Ichigo off the hook in the process. "First Ichigo and Rukia, now Karin's got a boyfriend, soon I'll be all alone." Sobbed Isshin feigning despair.

"What on earth are you talking about?" Chuckled Karin.

"It's obvious isn't it? If a tomboyish girl like you has suddenly decided to wear a dress, it must mean you've found yourself a young man." Said Isshin triumphantly.

"That's utter nonsense!" Laughed Karin.

"I guess you've found yourself a young woman then." Said Isshin, trying to save face and oblivious to what he'd just implied.

Yuzu's face went chalk white with shock whilst Karin's turned blood red with rage. "How could you even say that to _me_, your own daughter? The fact that I'm wearing a dress doesn't mean I'm romantically involved with someone or… or _that way inclined_ any more than Ichigo's wearing your white coat would make him a doctor. If you _must_ know, Rukia bought this for me while she was in Australia and she asked me to try it on." Growled Karin.

"Oniichan, didn't you take a camera with you? Did you take any pictures?" asked Yuzu, desperately trying to change the subject and prevent yet another fight. Ichigo fished out his camera and cables, thankful for Yuzu's distraction.

Connecting the camera to the TV, Ichigo set it up in slideshow mode. As he did so, Isshin dove onto the sofa and Yuzu and Karin sat either side of him whilst Rukia perched on the arm. "I haven't had chance to edit or even go through these yet so there'll probably be a few blurry and out of focus shots mixed in." Said Ichigo apologetically as he started the slideshow. Turning off the lights, Ichigo moved over to stand beside Rukia, the camera's remote in hand just in case he needed to pause it.

"Is there any popcorn?" Asked Isshin. Yuzu shushed him and Karin elbowed him in the ribs to put an end to his interruptions.

"Kawaii! Whose cat is that?" Cooed Yuzu, as the calico cat appeared before them.

"Oh, that's the cat which got on the train all by itself; I tried to get a better picture of it but I accidentally triggered the flash." Replied Rukia.

After a few more pictures, the cat was gone and scenes of Narita now dominated the slideshow. As the picture of Rukia and Ichigo beneath the archway of the boarding gate came up, Karin spoke up; "You two seem really close there." She said teasingly.

"We were just posing for a picture; we had to stand close to fit under the archway." Said Ichigo defensively. "Oh, before I forget, we picked something up for you two at the airport." Added Ichigo, handing Yuzu and Karin the keychains bearing the Narita airport logo.

"What about me, don't I get anything?" Pined Isshin which certainly got him something, only that something was an elbow in the ribs from Karin along with a stern warning to keep his mouth shut. Ichigo paid no heed to their scuffle and restarted the slideshow and soon the pictures of their flight to Australia had his family sitting in deferential silence, although some shots of Rukia sleeping did raise a titter and earned Ichigo a stern look from Rukia.

"So how was your first flight?" Asked Karin, looking over to Ichigo and Rukia.

"Oh, it was quite enjoyable, there's really nothing to it. If anything, it did get a little boring but sitting still for ten hours would have that effect no matter where you are." Replied Rukia, a slightly smug smile spreading across her face.

"Oh really?" Chuckled Ichigo; "I was a little anxious myself, but from what I remember you were a bag of nerves; you were even holding onto my shirt tails like a little kid all the way through the airport."

"I just didn't want to get separated from you and cause us to miss our flight." Protested Rukia although she was blushing heavily.

"Don't make fun of Rukia Oniichan, there's nothing wrong with being nervous about something you've never done before." Said Yuzu in a surprising bout of confidence.

"Just what _something_ are you implying there?" Asked Isshin playfully.

"Don't you ever stop?" Growled Karin, elbowing him in the ribs once more whilst Yuzu blushed at her father's implication.

The slideshow continued unhindered until they reached the hotel. "Ho ho, now we'll get to see what the honeymoon suite was like." Chuckled Isshin, causing Rukia to blush and turn away. Thankfully, Ichigo had cut out the pictures of the actual room and left only the pictures taken from the balcony.

"Wow, you certainly had a great view of the beach." Cooed Yuzu.

"Yeah and that beach was probably her favourite part of the trip." Chuckled Ichigo, causing Rukia to scowl at him and Isshin to pay very close attention.

"What are you getting so excited about goat-chin?" asked Karin impishly. She took to her role of being Isshin's moral shepherd with great, almost pernicious zeal.

Thankfully Isshin kept quiet all through the beach photos and they were able to progress through to the next day quickly until Ichigo paused on a shot showing Fred lying like a shadow at the far end of the pool. "Rukia gave me quite a scare here." Said Ichigo; "She tripped over some hawk rays then this big guy rushed over to her. I honestly thought he was about to attack but he had other things on his mind." Ichigo restarted the slideshow so that they could see the events unfold. Rukia groaned with embarrassment as she watched the scene unfold.

"I guess that ray thought it was a dolphin." Said Isshin jokingly, but he failed to raise even a titter from his audience, even Rukia rolled her eyes. Isshin looked down at his feet sulkingly for the next few minutes.

As the slideshow progressed, they were soon at Fitzroy Falls and Karin, Yuzu and Isshin were captivated by the scene. Once again, Ichigo dove into the bag by his side and pulled out some more souvenirs, the hats and t-shirt that he'd got for them from the visitors' centre. Karin placed her cap by her side whilst Yuzu immediately put it on; swapping it fro the summer hat she was still wearing. Isshin held up his t-shirt to admire the design then in a flash, pulled off the burgundy one he was wearing, Yuzu blushed and Rukia turned away. "What on earth do you think you are doing in the middle of the living room? Haven't you a shred of decency left?" growled Karin, her cheeks reddened by both embarrassment and anger. A slight smile flashed across her and Ichigo's faces as they realized that her second question may as well have been rhetorical.

"What? You and Yuzu both changed into the dresses Rukia brought back for you." Said Isshin innocently and he slipped the new t-shirt on, grinning from ear to ear.

"We went _upstairs_ to change _in private_, not in front of everyone else. I guess you must have an exhibitionist streak." Said Karin emphatically. Isshin hung his head.

Soon the slideshow was dominated by pictures of kangaroos, causing Yuzu and Karin to leave the sofa and kneel in front of the screen, even Rukia headed over to kneel beside them. Suddenly, their ears were met by the sounds of the rolling Tasman Sea and the cries of the great-winged petrels as the video of Rukia being chased by the joeys through the breakers began playing. "You never told me that you could record video with that thing." Said Rukia crossly to Ichigo.

"Well, you never asked." Said Ichigo jovially. He could not help but smile as he watched his sisters staring at the screen with envious eyes. "She even wanted to bring one of the joeys home with her." Added Ichigo with a grin.

"I was only joking Ichigo, I know that we can't have any pets here. Besides, I couldn't bear having to put it into storage at the airport for so long." Replied Rukia hotly. Yuzu and Karin both looked at Rukia curiously.

"I think she means quarantine." Said Ichigo. Rukia looked down at her knees, her cheeks growing ever more crimson as Yuzu struggled to suppress a chuckle. Now the slideshow consisted of pictures that Ichigo had taken when he'd headed out for a walk two days after the trip to Pebbly Beach.

"Where's Rukia?" Asked Yuzu, suddenly realizing that she'd disappeared from the shots.

"She was in bed wit food poisoning probably from the 'roo burgers we bought from the van at Pebbly Beach." Explained Ichigo. Rukia shot him a dismayed glance as she realized what she'd eaten that day.

"How could you trick me like that Ichigo?" She yelled, livid with rage and regret; "Why did you buy them if you knew they were made from kangaroos? For all we know those kangaroos we were playing with are already being served up with chips."

"That's all they had Rukia." Said Ichigo apologetically, a little taken aback by her outburst; "I think that those kangaroos will be safe, I'm sure they only use kangaroos specifically farmed for their meat. It's no different than beef, pork or lamb; they all come from farmed animals." Rukia still looked upset about it but there was nothing more he could do so he restarted the slideshow and hoped that she'd forget about it.

As the shots of Fort Scratchley scrolled by, Ichigo saw just how frail Rukia looked back then; she'd barely begun to recover yet she insisted on heading out, bearing with it for his sake. Now it was obvious how she felt about him, but how could he have missed it back then? Ah, the fact that he was too worried about not giving away any signs of his own feelings for her had blinded him to all the signs she was giving off. "What a fool I was." He thought to himself.

Soon, Ichigo paused it the picture of the black dress with the butterfly patterns. Rukia instantly turned crimson, leaving Yuzu and Karin looking confused. "Rukia really wanted to get that dress. I thought she'd look great in it as well" Said Ichigo teasingly.

"Well, why didn't she get it?" Asked Yuzu.

"Have a look at the store's sign." Said Ichigo, trying not to laugh. Rukia was too embarrassed to speak.

Now Yuzu blushed in realization; "D…don't be embarrassed Rukia; I'm sure it'd look great on you." Said Yuzu comfortingly; "And I'm sure you'll make a great mother someday too." She added, unable to contain herself.

"Th…thanks." Replied Rukia meekly.

"Well, maybe I'll go online and order her one." Mused Ichigo quietly. Rukia looked at him with an expression which managed to say at the same time both 'don't you dare' and 'bring it on'. Thankfully, nobody else caught the second meaning and so Ichigo was able to restart the slideshow without a bombardment of questions.

Now the slideshow showed their walk through the park and Rukia's little friend in the flowerbed. Suddenly a couple of pictures showed up which Ichigo had forgotten to edit out. The first few showed a view from on top of the cliff, the next were taken peering over to see the Bogey Hole below. Then a picture came up showing Rukia standing on the edge of the cliff then the next four showed her falling and Ichigo diving after her with one last one showing the view from the bottom of the cliff. Evidently, as he rushed to save her, he had accidently triggered a multiple shot sequence on the camera. How on earth was he going to explain this one away?

Rukia shot him a look of surprise and shock combined. Yuzu bore a worried expression. "What happened Oniichan? Were you both okay?" She squeaked.

"What do you think?" Chuckled Ichigo; "We're both here aren't we? Rukia fell of the cliff first so I instinctively ran after her, trying to save her, but when I realized that I'd actually _jumped_ clear off the cliff, I did the only thing left to do and rolled onto my back with her on top to protect her as much as possible."

"Weren't you injured?" Asked Karin, her attention piqued by her brother's rescue attempt.

"Yeah, I broke a few bones, not to mention got a ton of deep cuts and bruises then I even skinned my elbows when I tried to get up again." Said Ichigo jovially.

"Stop kidding around Ichi-nii, you'd be all bandaged up even now if that were the case." Replied Karin, thinking she'd seen through her brother's charade.

"I healed him." Said Rukia meekly.

"If that's true, could you heal this?" Asked Yuzu, holding up her right hand which bore a few plasters. "I cut myself whilst trying to sharpen one of the knives a few nights ago." She added somewhat embarrassed.

"Sure." Said Rukia cheerfully." With that she got up and removed the plasters to inspect the wounds; there were four cuts which all seemed quite deep. Rukia initiated her healing kidou and closed the wounds in a matter of moments.

Yuzu stared at her hand in disbelief. "Thank you so much Rukia-san." She said gleefully. "How on earth did you do it?" She asked, forcing Rukia to once again explain the 'origins' and limitations of her ability and ask that they kept it a secret.

"Still, I could make good use of your abilities in the clinic if you'd allow me." Said Isshin, serious for once.

"Well, I guess I could use them from time to time, but only if it's the only way of saving the patient and if they're either unconscious or they promise to keep it a secret." Replied Rukia. Isshin nodded in agreement and Ichigo restarted the slideshow.

As the pictures of the zoo played, Yuzu and Karin sat entranced by the myriad of animals. Just before it reached the tiger enclosure, Ichigo suddenly remembered something and pulled out the pictures that Tania had taken and passed them around Yuzu positively, squee'd at the sight of Maneki.

"Who's that guy?" Asked Karin, pointing to Bruce.

"Oh, that's Bruce Taylor, he was our driver. We bought an extra ticket for him when we got to the zoo to thank him for taking us so far. The zoo was over five hundred miles away from our hotel." Replied Rukia.

"He's a great guy; I wouldn't have expected him to drive us so far, besides he was a great laugh too." Added Ichigo. Restarting the slideshow, he returned to the suitcase and pulled out a few more souvenirs. He gave Karin another cap, this one bore the zoo's logo and he gave Yuzu the stuffed tiger wearing khakis and finally he gave Isshin the elephant whistle.

Yuzu squee'd once more as she hugged the tiger and Karin once again changed hats. Isshin looked at the whistle eagerly but a dark look from Karin told him that he wasn't going to be allowed to play it just now.

Soon, the slideshow showed the barbeque at the cabin. "So I guess that this is where you made your overnight stop." Said Isshin, holding the whistle in the corner of his mouth as if it were a pipe. Suddenly, he spit it out amid his laughter as he saw the picture of Rukia trying to tackle the shish kebab head on.

"Well I'd never had one before." Protested Rukia in her defence. Once again, the thought of her tackling something else 'head on' entered Ichigo's mind, causing his cheeks to redden slightly.

"Looks like you've got yourself a keeper there my boy." Joked Isshin as he leaned back on the sofa. Yuzu looked on thankfully clueless as Karin elbowed him full force in the gut.

"I don't even want to know what you were implying there Ero Goat-Chin." Growled Karin fiercely, giving him a long venomous look. Rukia blushed profusely as she realized what he'd implied and as she looked over to Ichigo, she saw that he'd realized too but he didn't seem as shocked as she did, even intrigued or maybe eager. She certainly hoped he wasn't expecting her to do _that_ of all things. Still, she dared not confront him about it, especially now; if she were to say anything, it would have to be when they were both alone.

Soon, the slideshow reached the some shots from Bruce's house. "So why did you end up going to your driver's house?" Asked Karin as she saw Bruce flash up on screen surrounded by his family.

"Heather, his wife, fell down the stairs and we went over so that Rukia could heal her. It took her six hours to heal her and she was so exhausted by the end of it that she fell asleep for another four hours." Replied Ichigo.

"Don't remind me." Groaned Rukia.

"Why, aren't you happy that you could help her out?" Asked Yuzu, shocked by Rukia's reaction.

"No, she's still embarrassed about falling asleep in their house for so long." Said Ichigo. She really needs to loosen up a little.

"Stop making fun of her Oniichan, she did take you on the trip with her after all." Said Yuzu crossly.

"Alright, I'm sorry Rukia." Apologized Ichigo, taken aback by Yuzu jumping in to defend Rukia.

Soon the slideshow showed their flight home and finally finished with a shot of the two of them standing below the sign at Narita airport.

"So that's it for the slideshow I guess." Sighed Ichigo. "I do still have a few souvenirs to hand out though." He added. The three of them looked over to him with eager eyes. First he passed the didgeridoo to his father who immediately stood up and cleared his throat. "Just wait a minute before you do that." Pleaded Ichigo; "At least until I've finished giving out the rest of this stuff." Isshin nodded and sat down, eying the wooden tube eagerly. Next he gave each of them a boomerang crafted decorated in traditional aboriginal style. Next he gave Yuzu a giant stuffed koala; it had taken him a whole ten minutes to pack it into the bottom of the case two days ago.

"Thanks Oniichan!" She exclaimed as she threw her arms around his neck. Then placed the tiger on the koala's lap, the oddity of it raising a chuckle from Ichigo and Karin. Next, he gave Karin a rather flat looking package.

"What is it Ichi-nii?" She asked dubiously as she opened it up. As she pulled it out, her eyes lit up as she realized it was a football. Rushing out to the genkan, she came running back in with a pump in hand. Pumping furiously, she soon had the ball inflated and up to pressure. Spinning the ball in her hands, she saw the logo of the Newcastle Jets emblazoned on the front, and as she turned it slowly, she noticed that it was signed by all of the senior team. She was dumbstruck. "Where on earth did you get this?" She asked breathlessly.

"I just took a walk over to the stadium and the team were outside jogging round the track behind the stadium so I popped over to the shop and bought one of the footballs then caught up to one of the players and asked if he'd mind signing it for you and he called everyone else over to sign it too." Said Ichigo with a smile. Sure enough, as she examined some of the signatures more closely, they had comments like "Keep it up Karin!" or "Keep practicing Karin!" written below them.

"Wow Ichi-nii this is the best present ever!" She exclaimed ecstatically as she threw her arms around his neck.

"I thought you'd like it." Said Ichigo, patting her head. "Well, I guess that's it for the souvenirs." Said Ichigo sealing up the suitcase once more.

"There wasn't a stadium near the hotel." Said Rukia thoughtfully; "How far did you have to go to get it?" She asked.

"It was only an hour's walk from the hotel." Said Ichigo.

"Only?" Exclaimed Rukia; "No wonder you took so long getting the suitcases. You should have told me that that was what you were doing; you had me worried you know." Pouted Rukia.

"I'm sorry Rukia, the idea came to me when I was out there; I would have told you if I'd thought of it earlier. I never meant to make you worry." Replied Ichigo apologetically.

"Alright Ichigo, I forgive you." Said Rukia warmly.

"Aww, you two make such a good couple." Said Yuzu half jokingly. Rukia and Ichigo both blushed in response and exchanged nervous glances, fearing that they'd just blown their cover but thankfully they had gotten away with it. Isshin leapt up once more and began playing his didgeridoo as loud as he could, albeit with no semblance of tone or tune. The only thing he did have perfected was the circular breathing technique required to play it properly.

"Where on earth did you learn to play it?" Asked Ichigo.

"There was a guy from Australia whose sister was in the clinic for a few days shortly after I'd opened it; he had one with him and he showed me how to play it." Explained Isshin gleefully before going back to creating an incessant drone.

"So what was your favourite part of the trip Ichi-nii?" Asked Karin over the racket.

"I liked all of it really," Replied Ichigo thoughtfully; "but if I had to choose, I'd have to pick the whole trip to Australia Zoo. Though we mainly went for Rukia's sake, I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the encounter with Maneki. That was a once in a lifetime experience."

"How about you Rukia?" Asked Yuzu.

"I'd have to say that my favourite part was meeting the kangaroos at pebbly beach and of course Maneki. Not many things can beat walking beside a full grown tiger and even getting the chance to stroke it." Replied Rukia. And so the questions continued for the next few hours with Isshin playing in the background all the while.

Finally, they managed to slip away upstairs. Ichigo flopped down onto his bed, exhausted by the onslaught of questions and hiding their relationship. His head was still throbbing from Isshin's three hour long didgeridoo cacophony. In hindsight maybe a didgeridoo for Isshin wasn't such a good idea. Judging by the way Rukia was holding her head as she perched on the end of the bed, she thought so too. "What in earth made you think that that thing would make a good present for your father Ichigo?" Groaned Rukia.

"Well at least it made _him _happy." Said Ichigo jokingly. Rukia rolled her eyes and got up lazily from the foot of the bed.

"Mind if I lay down beside you?" Asked Rukia moving slowly up to the head of the bed, trailing her fingers along the duvet.

"What do you think?" Chuckled Ichigo as he shuffled over. As Rukia lay there facing him he draped his arm over her but she brushed it off shaking her head, causing her fringe to lie across her face. "What's wrong?" Asked Ichigo, brushing her hair aside with the back of his hand.

"Your family may come in and if they see you with your arm around me, I doubt we'd be able to make an excuse to cover it up." Said Rukia with a hint of sadness in her voice. As he looked into her eyes Ichigo could see that there was something else yearning to burst forth.

"Is there something else you wanted to tell me?" Asked Ichigo. Her expression became lined with worry so Ichigo spoke up again; "If it's that thing you couldn't tell me about before, I don't mind waiting until you're ready."

For a while she said nothing, at least her expression had now shifted from worried to ponderous. "Yes, it is about that..." She began quietly. Ichigo's face fell but she continued; "But I think, no, I know I'm ready to tell you now. It also concerns your question about gigai. When I said that gigai couldn't procreate, it was only a half truth. Whilst all I said was true for _this_ gigai, there is another type of gigai that can."

"So what is it, and why worry so much over a gigai?" Asked Ichigo audibly intrigued. A sly smile spread across his face.

Rukia coloured a little when she realized what she'd implied. "No, I wasn't looking into it for _that_ reason. Shortly after I found out that your father was a shinigami, I found myself asking the same question that you had asked me. Obviously, I already knew that gigai couldn't procreate but that left me with the same conundrum: how could Yuzu, Karin and you be here? With this in mind I went to see Urahara about it. I was also curious to see if the gigai was designed for extended use without the need for soul fixing pills. As you can probably guess, he was very aloof and evasive about the topic but even when I finally got him on topic, he was still guarded. He eventually told me that there was a more advanced type of gigai that was designed for extended use, and which could also procreate but the soul society restricted its use. He wouldn't say much more but since I'd satisfied my curiosity and I had no reason to go against soul society at the time, so I let it be."

"Well that explains how you found out about it." Said Ichigo as he rolled over to face her. "I guess that you're thinking about getting one, otherwise you wouldn't have told me. I still can't figure out why you were worrying so much about it or why you haven't told me about it until now. Tell me, what am I missing Rukia?"

"Geez, you can be so dense sometimes Ichigo." Groaned Rukia; "Think about it; if soul society limits their use, there must be some detrimental effects like weakness, illness or even loss of powers. Even if there aren't any, using one may well be a banishable offence."

"So what are you planning to do?" Asked Ichigo. "Will you get one of these new gigai?"

"Yes, or at least I think I will." Said Rukia cautiously; "I've been seriously considering it for the last two years now but I decided that I'd wait until I knew how you felt about me first. That's why I haven't said anything about it until now. I was worried that if I mentioned it to you it would probably force your hand and I didn't want you confessing to me unless it was of your own accord. Besides, I wasn't even certain of my own feelings back then. Nevertheless, even though I'd decided that I'd almost certainly go through with it if you did confess, I couldn't stop worrying about what side effects it may have. That's why I'm telling you now; I want to know what you think about it. And please think about it seriously this time." Ichigo nodded and rolled onto his back and lay there staring unblinkingly at the ceiling deep in thought.

As she lay there next to him Rukia began to grow more nervous with each passing minute. To try and calm her nerves she sprang up from the bed and strode over to the window. The sun was just beginning to set and as she slid the window fully open, the evening air rushed in, washing over her and cocooning her in its cool embrace. Lightly, she hopped up onto the windowsill and rested her back against the pillar. The evening serenade of a multitude of unseen songbirds filled her ears as she closed her eyes, shutting out the dimly lit room and, at least for a little while, the cares and worries it held.

It felt like a year since she'd last sat on that windowsill. That morning had sparked a series of events which had changed their lives so drastically in such a short space of time that, at least for her, it beggared belief. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she began to focus, trying to reach someone she desperately wanted, no, needed to talk to before she made her final decision. Unfortunately, for the last few months she hadn't been able to reach her. Today was turning out to be no different; no matter how long she called out for her, she would not show herself or even speak to her.

"Why now?" Thought Rukia, "She's always been there for me before so why now when I'm most worried about her? I've always been able to hear her clearly so what has brought on this silence?" Rukia couldn't stand it any longer. "Fine;" She thought fustratedly; "if she won't talk to me about it, I just won't care what happens to her anymore. I'll just go ahead with it regardless."

With that, she hopped down from the windowsill and went to lie down beside Ichigo once more. As she looked at him she began to realize that if she really had lost Sode no Shirayuki, or lost her through acquiring the new gigai, he was the only one she had left to rely on. Yes, if she couldn't reach her, she'd just have to put her out of her mind and trust in his decision, even if that meant losing her.

"Rukia, I've been wondering for a while now, is there any way for me to meet Sode No Shirayuki?" Asked Ichigo, eventually rousing from his contemplations. Rukia flushed crimson and turned away. "I take it there's a way then." Said Ichigo softly.

"Yes, there is a way..." Said Rukia meekly; hoping Ichigo would drop the topic.

"So, what is it?" Prompted Ichigo eagerly, ignoring Rukia's reluctance.

"Ni-jizen… it's an adapted form of jizen meditation which allows two people to enter one person's inner world..." Replied Rukia almost inaudibly, blushing ever more crimson.

"Alright Rukia, let's do it." Said Ichigo excitedly.

"It's... it's not that simple Ichigo." Stuttered Rukia as she turned toward him, still unable to make eye contact with him. Ichigo's expression implored an explanation so she continued reluctantly; "You see Ichigo, for shinigami, what you're asking me to do is very um... intimate. Ni-jizen is not something you'd generally bring up in conversation, or anywhere for that matter. In fact, it's the most intimate thing two shinigami can do. It's almost exclusively reserved for primo nocte, first night. Your mind becomes one with your partner's, revealing absolutely everything about you to your partner; your memories, dreams, hopes, fears and regrets. I just don't know if I'm ready for that."

Rukia's face was white, even her lips were pale and she looked exhausted. In explaining ni-jizen to Ichigo, she felt as if she'd recounted their first night in Brisbane to Bayakuya, worse even; such was the level of taboo surrounding it. Imagine describing in great detail a drunken one night stand you'd had to your sainted grandmother and you'd come close to the level of embarrassment Rukia felt.

Ichigo coloured a little as he realized how much he was asking of her but he was still determined; he wanted to make sure Sode no Shirayuki was happy with how things were going between himself and Rukia and, more importantly, what she thought of him. He wanted her approval; for she was Rukia's closest and longest companion and if she did give him her blessing, he'd certainly feel a lot more confident about what he was planning to do. Besides, he'd be able to find out a little more about Rukia at the same time.

"Rukia..." Breathed Ichigo as he stroked her hair, his hand gliding down the side of her face. Gently he pulled her around and looked her in the eye. She glanced away, straining not to look him in the eyes. He moved in closer but Rukia tried to pull away, Ichigo shifted his hand to the back of her neck to stop her. He kissed her softly; "I wouldn't be asking you to do this if I didn't feel it was important." Said Ichigo comfortingly. Ichigo embraced her and deepened the kiss. Suddenly, she returned his embrace, pushed him down onto the bed and began kissing him desperately. "So, can I take that as a yes?" Asked Ichigo when she finally let him get back up.

"I'm sorry Ichigo; I guess I got a little carried away for a moment. I just can't stand keeping everything bottled up around your family much longer. Still, I just can't bring myself to do it. I just don't know what'll happen." Said Rukia meekly.

"Even so, I really think I should meet her before we go through with this. She is part of you after all and I want to know what she thinks of the idea." Insisted Ichigo. Rukia looked disheartened. "What is it Rukia?" Asked Ichigo. She didn't reply. "Rukia, I won't understand unless you tell me. Still she remained silent, staring at her knees. "Rukia, please tell me what's got you so worried." Insisted Ichigo.

Slowly she raised her head; her eyes were welling up with tears. "Ichigo, I'm worried about Sode no Shirayuki. If I go through with this, there's a chance I may lose her. She hasn't been speaking to me lately; so I think she knows it too." As she spoke, her tears began flowing in earnest. Ichigo embraced her tightly.

"That's all the more reason for me to speak to her. Maybe I can help her understand." Said Ichigo softly.

"But you don't even know her, what could you possibly accomplish that I can't?" Barked Rukia angrily, though more angry at herself than Ichigo.

"I don't know what I can accomplish, but I want to try. I know you Rukia. I know that the real reason isn't the embarrassment; it's that you're trying to discourage me because you feel that you must deal with this yourself to avoid admitting that you need help. I know you're strong Rukia, but even the strongest of us need help from time to time. Refusing help freely offered when you need it most isn't strength Rukia, it's foolishness. I've learned that lesson the hard way too many times. Let me help you. I won't take no for an answer." Replied Ichigo firmly, holding her by the shoulders and looking her straight in the eye.

An expression of shock flashed across her face as she realised Ichigo had seen through her facade once again. "Alright Ichigo, you win, you'd better get your talisman ring out. Don't blame me if she won't talk to us." Replied Rukia flatly.

Ichigo slipped on his talisman ring and pressed it against his chest, ejecting himself from his body. Sitting down at the head of the bed, he waited for Rukia to do the same. "You could have used the ring on me before yourself you know." Said Rukia crossly as she sat down beside him.

"So, what do we do?" Asked Ichigo. As he turned, he saw that she was gingerly removing her shihakushou, sliding it from her shoulders and letting it fall in a heap about her waist. Moments later, she undid the knot on her chest bindings and let them fall away, leaving her topless. "Whoa Rukia, is that really necessary? I'm not sure I'll be able to focus if we're naked." Said Ichigo jokingly. Nevertheless, this was the first time he'd seen her topless as a shinigami and he couldn't resist embracing her once again.

"Stop it Ichigo." Protested Rukia, shaking off his embrace; "This is embarrassing enough as it is. I still can't believe I let you talk me into this. If Nii-sama ever found out about this I'd just die of shame. Now take yours off too and then we'll sit back to back in standard jizen form." Ichigo complied and rested his back against hers. The warmth of his skin against hers was threatening to tip her over the edge once more but she resisted it as best she could.

"But why are we topless?" Asked Ichigo as he sat there with Zangetsu resting across his knees, all the while trying not to give in to temptation and embrace Rukia once more.

"It's because of your mediocre kidou abilities." Responded Rukia flatly; "You have a hard time controlling your reiatsu and an even harder time sensing others' reiatsu and trying to match theirs. This way we can sense each others' reiatsu as clearly as possible and have the best chance of success. For this to work our reiatsu must be perfectly synchronized; a task I know you'd be incapable of achieving. That's why I just want you to keep your reiatsu perfectly calm and steady whilst I match mine to yours. That's the only way we'll achieve this."

"That's a bit harsh Rukia; remember how easily I sensed the Reiraku?" Said Ichigo smugly; "After all I've been through, I'm sure I'd be just as good at this as you."

"Oh really?" Chuckled Rukia; "I heard about Kukaku's cannonball. This requires a level of control many magnitudes more precise than that did. Back then, the goal was to keep the shell a uniform thickness by holding your reiatsu near the others' level, but now we're trying to meld two reiatsu into one. Granted, the results of failing this won't be explosive like back then, but if we're to have any chance of success, you'd best leave it to me."

"Fine then, I'll leave it in your skilled hands." Said Ichigo jokingly as he focused his reiatsu and did his best to keep it from fluctuating. Now he saw why Rukia had insisted on taking control; even at this low level, his reiatsu would not flow smoothly. It felt to him as if he was trying to turn river rapids into a millpond. The more he steadied it, the more fluctuations he could feel. For all his taunting, he was glad he didn't have Rukia's task to accomplish.

Just as he felt he'd calmed his reiatsu as much as he could, Rukia spoke up. "Ichigo, you need to lower your reiatsu. I need you to cut it to about half of what it is now. I can barely reach this level. You have to remember, your zanpakuto is constantly in shikiai and therefore your reiatsu idles at a higher level." She said, her voice strained with exertion.

Now all his hard work in calming his reiatsu was undone. He could barely make his reiatsu go that low and once he had, he hat to calm it once again. Finally, he had managed to stabilize his reiatsu at the new level. Just then he could feel Rukia's reiatsu rising and enveloping his own. All around him he could feel their reiatsu slowly getting closer and closer until he could not tell them apart. At that moment, he felt their reiatsu growing and enveloping them as if they were encased in a wall of cool flames. "Alright Ichigo, just relax and allow me to take control of your reiatsu. Soon our reiatsu will grow fiercer then solidify and we'll be drawn into my inner world, just let me take the lead." Said Rukia although this time, her voice seemed to be coming from all around him and even within him. Now their reiatsu formed a cocoon about them and began to slow and become calm, solidifying into a barrier that shut out the outside world.

The very air about them seemed to pulsate to the frequency of their combined reiatsu and he could feel his consciousness slipping away and being drawn into another realm. In an instant the dimly lit room faded away and he was immersed in a tunnel of bright light. As he was drawn along he could see images, memories flashing through his mind, faintly at first but growing clearer and clearer the further he went down this mysterious tunnel. As he turned to look down its length, he could see Rukia ahead of him and a thin ray of light connecting him to her. It was plain that she was leading him down this tunnel, what ever it may be.

As his attention returned to the unfamiliar memories now flooding into his mind, he realized that they were Rukia's. He was seeing, rather being shown glimpses of her past; sometimes just an image, other times only sounds but other times he was immersed into a memory so fully that he felt that he was actually there. The memories seemed to come in no particular order and were so fleeting that he could make little sense of them but one thing was certain; their frequency was increasing. The whole experience was making his head spin.

Suddenly the tunnel disappeared and he found himself in a clearing in the middle of a forest. Rukia stood silently beside him, her face glowing crimson in stark contrast to the white of the snow now softly alighting on her shoulders. As he looked about he could see no end to the trees and as he looked up to the sky, he saw that a massive full moon of purest white dominated the ultramarine starless twilight sky. The air felt cool and crisp and there wasn't even a breath of wind. Rukia headed silently towards the centre of the clearing and sat down.

To Ichigo she was an enigma: she appeared both at peace and fearful; relaxed yet anxious. Walking over to her, he sat beside her and to his surprise the snow didn't feel cold, merely cool and didn't melt in his hands. "What was that tunnel thing we went through before and where are we?" Asked Ichigo as he began to make a little snowman. Between them.

"That tunnel was the Hall of Memories. The Hall is the usual objective of people using ni-jizen, but since our objective was to reach my inner world, I rushed us through it as fast as possible. This endless forest is my inner world." said Rukia quietly, watching his sculpting with growing curiosity; "You're the first person I've ever brought here; the only other person to walk these woods is the one we're here to meet. Now we wait for her to show herself." Her voice was still befuddled by embarrassment.

"This is so different to my inner world; at least yours is the right way up." Said Ichigo wistfully.

"What on earth do you mean?" Chuckled Rukia, a slight smile growing on her face despite her embarrassment.

"Well, my inner world consists of an endless city of sideways skyscrapers with old man Zangetsu popping up here and there." Said Ichigo.

"I knew that everyone's inner worlds were different but I didn't expect anything like that." Said Rukia.

"How long do you think we'll be waiting anyway?" Asked Ichigo as he lay down next to Rukia in the snow.

"Honestly, I have no idea; could be minutes, hours or even days before she shows up. Don't worry though; whilst we're in ni-jizen time virtually stands still so we don't need to worry about your family getting suspicious, just sit tight and be patient." Said Rukia. Ichigo sat up and took hold of her shoulders with a mischievous look in his eyes. "Wh… what are you planning Ichigo and … and what if she shows up whilst you're doing it?" asked Rukia nervously.

**CAUTION LEMONY SECTION BELOW SKIP IF YOU DON'T LIKE LEMONS**

Ichigo said nothing but silently swung his leg over hers so that they were face to face then gently but firmly pushed her down into the snow. She lay motionless below him ensnared by his gaze. Ichigo was rendered motionless and speechless by the way she looked in the moonlight; her pale skin seemed to glow in its radiance and her azure eyes, shimmering with uncertainty, shone back at him with the moon reflected in their gaze. Never before had he seen her look like this; her radiance in the moonlight was hypnotizing, almost blinding. Her face framed by her raven hair which was in turn framed by the white snow in which she now lay, limp and seemingly motionless almost doll-like below him. Her rapid breathing was enthralling, almost entrancing. He knew that she was nervous but at this point he didn't care, he was caught in her spell.

He lowered his head and whispered in her ear; "Rukia, you look amazing in the moonlight, I've never seen you look like this before; you're truly beautiful." She took a sharp intake of breath in surprise and closed her eyes, surrendering herself to his embrace, silently begging for his touch. Her lips quivered under his breath as her mouth opened slightly, inviting him, imploring him to seal them with his own. Ichigo did not let her invitation go unheeded. Slowly, he brushed his lips against hers then pulled away for a moment only to feel her breath quickening with fervent excitement against his own lips. Gently, he ran his tongue along her lips, causing her to shiver below him. As a slight moan escaped her lips, he sealed them with his own. Sliding his hand behind her head, he deepened the kiss, causing her arms to ensnare him, holding his head in place, preventing him from breaking the kiss, not that he had any intention to do so.

He slid his free hand down her body and, finding her obi, pulled at the knot and undid it. His hand caressed her side as he slid her shihakushou off her delicate frame. Her hands slid down the sides of his neck and dove into his shihakushou via the collar and she began caressing him, her hands working their way down his chest slowly. Kneeling over her, Ichigo slipped his arms free and let his top fall away around his waist, allowing Rukia's hands free reign over his torso. His hands found her stomach and opened her shihakushou wide, exposing her radiant skin to the moonlight. Now the whole of her upper body glowed white except for her eyes, lips, her cheeks which were glowing crimson and two small points on her chest which were growing ever firmer.

Starting at her navel, Ichigo began to caress her chest working slowly, tantalizingly higher. Rukia's eyes were now wide with delight and her cares were washed away as she allowed herself to become lost in the moment. She began caressing his shoulders and worked her way down his chest. She gasped as his hands finally reached their target and began caressing her fervently, driving her into a frenzy. Suddenly, Ichigo lowered himself over her once more, his entire face engulfed in the heat of her breath. He began to kiss her collarbone, starting at the shoulder and working his way to her neck. As he reached her neck, he worked his way up toward her lips. As he reached her face, he saw that her eyes were glazed over with pleasure and her mouth lay open and inviting. It was clear that she wouldn't refuse him anything tonight.

He slipped his tongue between her lips and ran its tip slowly under her top lip, carefully following its contours, sending shivers up and down her body and causing stifled moans of pleasure to issue forth. Now his tongue dove into her mouth and entwined hers in a dance of passion. Rukia's hands now began to glide up and down the length of his back as his ran through her hair.

**LEMONY SECTION ENDS HERE**

Suddenly, the wind picked up and swirled about them, causing them both to break their embrace and quickly cover themselves up to shield themselves from the encroaching cold. "What's going on?" Asked Ichigo.

"She's here." Replied Rukia, her breathing still rapid and her face crimson. A blizzard now began to whirl out of the far end of the clearing, slowly approaching them. Just as it was about to engulf them, the blizzard vanished completely, revealing Sode no Shirayuki. Silently, she paced toward them whilst they struggled to their feet, still weak-kneed from their earlier exploits. Still she remained silent, her gaze shifting slowly from one to the other; it was as if she was awaiting something, or someone.

"Why haven't you answered my attempts to reach you?" Asked Rukia emphatically. Sode no Shirayuki began to speak, or at least her lips were moving but Rukia couldn't hear her. "This isn't funny." Barked Rukia; "You've had me so worried." Sode no Shirayuki bowed her head and tears began to flow down her cheeks, freezing into teardrop shaped icicles as they fell to the snow below. "Why can't you speak to me?" asked Rukia desperately. More tears fell silently.

"What blocks your ears is only fear." Said a strong and stern voice from behind her.

Rukia spun around in surprise and saw a tall man wearing a black trench coat and sunglasses standing mere inches behind her.

"A… are you Zangetsu?" Asked Rukia feebly.

Zangetsu nodded slowly; "Come with me." He said flatly, gesturing to a doorway behind him. It was less a request and more a command. Rukia looked pleadingly over to Ichigo for an answer. Guessing what it was that Zangetsu wanted and knowing that she needed to hear what he had to say to her, he gestured for her to follow him. Cautiously, she followed him through the doorway; her eyes fixed upon Sode no Shirayuki until the last moment.

"So, you must be Ichigo Kurosaki-sama." Said Sode no Shirayuki politely, bowing low in greeting.

"Just call me Ichigo." Said Ichigo, somewhat embarrassed by all the formality. Sode no Shirayuki smiled and nodded politely.

"Please, follow me, I have something to show you." Said Sode no Shirayuki, leading him into the forest. Ichigo followed but as he did, he noticed that she left no footprints in the snow. Soon, they were deep within the forest which seemed to keep getting thicker and denser. It consisted mainly of Japanese Red Pine and Japanese Hemlock. Every bough and even the forest floor was covered with a thick layer of snow. As they pressed on, Ichigo knew that he'd never find his way back to the clearing by himself.

"How deep are you taking me into this forest?" Asked Ichigo cheerily. She stopped as soon he spoke and stood looking at a low bough. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you." Apologized Ichigo.

"You didn't offend me." She replied kindly. "Come and look at this." She added, motioning for Ichigo to look at something on the bough before her. Ichigo stood beside her and looked at the bough. He saw a small ice sculpture of a bird on the bough.

"Did you make that?" asked Ichigo approvingly.

Sode no Shirayuki shook her head and smiled. "This forest used to be so full of life; there were songbirds singing from every bough, saturating the air until the skies themselves were filled with the sweetest melodies and even the trees joined in the chorus. There were also a myriad of small woodland creatures that ran around between the boles. There were even herds of sika deer that thundered through the clearings and meadows" She said wistfully, almost sorrowfully.

"What happened to destroy such a vibrant and lively forest?" Asked Ichigo sadly.

"Destroy? No. Nothing has been destroyed, merely hidden, look." Replied Sode no Shirayuki. Gently, she reached out and stroked the head of the sculpture and, much to Ichigo's amazement, the sculpture shook itself doglike until all the ice had fallen from its body to reveal a Daurian Redstart which now sat there calmly preening its wings.

"You see, life still remains in this forest, it has merely been sealed away. It only needs to be reawakened." Said Sode no Shirayuki as the Redstart flitted up onto her shoulder and began chirping away merrily to itself. "Now let's continue, we're almost there." She said, setting off once more.

Eventually, they stumbled out of the undergrowth into another clearing. It was much akin to the first, though much smaller. "What's so important about this clearing?" Asked Ichigo.

"My, you're an impatient one aren't you?" Chuckled Sode no Shirayuki; "This is merely the start of the path but fear not, the path is quite short. We shall be there soon." Sure enough, a narrow passageway led from the clearing into a steep sided valley full of twists and turns. Looking up at the steep slopes, Ichigo could see only small pines clinging to their snow clad sides. Thankfully, before long the sides of the valley were flung wide as they rounded yet another sharp bend which led them into a vast caldera-like formation.

As he surveyed the land before him, he saw that the path before them wound its way down the slopes to a triple arch bridge striding across the central plain to the hill at the centre. Upon the hill a tall five tier pagoda stood shimmering white in the moonlight. As they followed the path toward the bridge, Ichigo's attention was drawn to the wall of the caldera. Bare rock emerged from the slopes and rose to form crenulations around the summit, giving the impression of a grand palisade encompassing them. Four great tendril-like structures reached over the summit reaching down and diving into the central plain.

Sode no Shirayuki stopped in the middle of the bridge for a moment and looked out over the plain. "This is the heart of her inner world Ichigo. It was her… our favourite place; I guess you could say it still is, though she never really comes here anymore." She said sadly.

"Why is that?" Asked Ichigo, standing beside her.

"I have lived in this world for more than a century Ichigo and this snow has fallen constantly nearly all that time." She continued, seemingly ignoring his question. He suspected she had a point to make, so he listened quietly.

The time he'd spent with Zangetsu had taught him that zanpakuto are seldom straightforward and concise, but at the same time, they never waste words. He knew that he had to find the meaning behind what she was telling him if she was ever going to open up to him. Yes, this was her way of testing him and he could not afford to fail.

She stepped from the bridge and knelt down. "Look; the snow is becoming so shallow." She said as she swept away the snow before her to reveal the stone path below and sure enough, it was barely three inches deep. "There was once a time that nothing of this place could be seen above the snow dunes save the topmost pinnacle of this pagoda. The valley we came through, even the forests were buried in a vast frozen wilderness. Earlier I told you of how this world used to be; what I didn't tell you is that it all changed in an instant. There is no way you could even imagine what that day was like. Everything was engulfed in a blizzard which flooded this world with snow and that night, the sun set for the last time and that full moon has sat up there ever since, keeping its endless vigil over a silent wasteland as I alone walked ceaselessly beneath its gaze.

It is only recently that the snow began to subside. If Rukia had brought you here two years ago, you would have found this world just as I'd described it. Even two months ago, the snow was still over the second tier of the pagoda. This world is changing, leaving an ice age behind and we're standing here on the cusp of the new dawn; even I can't see what it'll bring but I can tell you that this dawn has been long awaited."

"I think I see now." Said Ichigo thoughtfully as they stood in the doorway of the pagoda; "This world is a reflection of her; it was sealed away like her heart when she fell into despair after Kaien's death and it, like her, became filled with despair and has been wandering aimlessly through the darkness filled with the coldness that filled the void that her sealed heart left behind. Now that she has begun to feel again, the world has begun to wake from its icy slumber and now that she has decided to trust her heart once more, the ice and snow are being driven away, allowing this world to awake once more."

"That's it exactly." Said Sode no Shirayuki, smiling brightly, although a lone tear trickled down her cheek; "And it's all thanks to you. You broke down her walls and taught her to feel again, showed her what it meant to love and be loved. You freed her heart that had been sealed away. You have brought the dawn to this world Ichigo."

"Won't you miss the snow though? I mean, you are an ice zanpakuto." Asked Ichigo, looking out over the plain.

"Miss it?" Chuckled Sode no Shirayuki. "Are you trying to say that I need ice and snow to survive; that I'd melt away to nothing if I stay too long under the sun? Just because I use ice as a weapon, it doesn't mean I need to be constantly immersed in it to survive. If that were the case, Yamamoto Genryusai's inner world would have to be a lake of lava just to keep his Ryujin Jakka happy. No, what I miss are the days Rukia and I used to spend here lying out in the sun beside the pagoda or swimming in the lake. Yes, there is a vast lake under the ice here fed by the four rivers that tumble over the rim of the caldera. It used to be so warm and clear and teeming with fish; this whole place was so full of life."

"It will be again and I think it will be very soon indeed from what you've been telling me. I promise you that I'll never let this world see another ice age." Said Ichigo firmly.

"Thank you Ichigo, I believe it will be full of life again soon and now I know I can trust you to take care of her." She replied, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Then I guess asking your permission now would be superfluous. There is one thing I do need to ask you though; what do you think of Rukia getting this new type of gigai?" Asked Ichigo.

"She should." She replied firmly, wiping away her tears; "She needn't worry about losing me either. It is as you said; I am part of her, there is no way that a gigai could separate us. It may limit her reiatsu but I doubt it'll quash it completely. The only worry is what action soul society will take. However, I know that you won't let them harm her so I have no concerns about them and I think they'd be reluctant to try it anyway after all you've done for them."

"Thanks, that'll certainly put her mind at ease. Should we start heading back to meet them soon?" Asked Ichigo.

"They should be meeting us here; at least that's what Zangetsu and I had planned." She replied coyly.

"Hang on, when did you meet Zangetsu?" Asked Ichigo, puzzled by the fact that they'd not only met but managed to make a plan without either Rukia or himself realizing it although he knew he was following him down the Hall of Memories, but lost track of him when he and Rukia arrived.

"As soon as you arrived in this world. We were there the whole time but decided not to reveal ourselves until the time was right." She replied.

"Then that means you saw everything that Rukia and I did before you arrived…" said Ichigo meekly, staring at his feet.

"Yes I did. I'm surprised that you two didn't melt away the last of the snow there and then." Chuckled Sode no Shirayuki blushing slightly.

Meanwhile, Rukia was entering Ichigo's inner world. She was taken aback by it and ended up trying to cling to a windowsill just as Ichigo had done when he first arrived.

"Stand up Rukia." Said Zangetsu firmly; "This world lies on its side, just as he did when he discovered me."

"Why did you bring me here?" Asked Rukia, standing up but still unsure of this strange world.

"There are some things you must hear and others you must see. Only by your responses shall I be able to judge if you are worthy of my master." Said Zangetsu flatly.

It suddenly hit home for her; she hadn't been brought here simply to be given advice but to be tested. A shiver ran up her spine. Something about Zangetsu terrified her yet she knew, or at least she felt, that she could trust him. Quieting her nerves, she spoke up determinedly; "I am ready for your tests. Please begin when you are ready."

"You stood your ground and faced me despite your fear. You have passed the first test; now listen to what I have to say." Said Zangetsu; "As I said before, your ears were blocked by fear. Your fear of losing her prevented you from hearing her voice. She had never stopped trying to reach you, trying to comfort you but the more fearful you became, the harder it was for her to reach you. You must cast aside this fear and move forward. She is part of you. There is only one thing that can completely separate her from you and it isn't this gigai: it is your fear. Only fear can break the bond between shinigami and zanpakuto. Replace your fear with trust: trust that you will not lose her; trust that she will always be there for you; trust that with her by your side, you cannot fail; trust in her and you will have nothing left to fear."

"Thank you, I'll try and trust her more from now on." Replied Rukia.

"Very good, now onto the main part of the test; there is someone you need to meet." Said Zangetsu and even as he spoke, shards began breaking off from the hem of his coat and in moments a monochrome Ichigo stood beside him.

"Yo missy, you're the one that the king keeps risking my body for. Heh, looking at you now, I can't really see why; especially when there's that other orange haired one up for grabs." Said Hichigo snidely.

"Now I didn't let you out for you to pick a fight. Stick to the plan, and show some manners." Said Zangetsu reprimandingly.

"Who or what is this?" Asked Rukia dubiously.

"I'm the one who always pulls the king's ass out of the fire; it's my power he uses when he goes visard. Simply put, I guess you could say I'm the horse." Said Hichigo jovially.

Rukia looked over to Zangetsu for a proper answer. "This is the hollow which lives within Ichigo." Began Zangetsu; "He was born, if you can call it that, as a side effect of the method Urahara used to recover Ichigo's shinigami powers… by turning him into a hollow. Risky as this method was, it worked but that's beside the point. I brought you here so that you could see firsthand what this hollow is like."

"I bet you're petrified aren't you?" Hissed Hichigo closing in on her: "How does it feel to know that the king has someone like me inside him, just waiting for the slightest opportunity to take control and reduce his world to ashes."

"We all have demons within us which we must deal with and from what I've seen of you so far, I'm not impressed. Ichigo has kept you suppressed with little difficulty and I have no doubt in my mind that he can continue to do so indefinitely. You may have a loud bark, but you have no bite. You're a caged dog, you can bark all day but you can never break free of your bonds, in a word; you're powerless." Said Rukia coldly.

Hichigo laughed manically; "Is that what you really think? Hey, old man, why don't we show her just how 'powerless' I really am?" He added, turning to Zangetsu.

"Very well." said Zangetsu flatly. He began to reabsorb Hichigo whilst he waved to Rukia whilst wearing a manic grin. No sooner had he been fully absorbed than Zangetsu rematerialized him, only this time in Ichigo's fully hollowfied form. "This is what he becomes when Ichigo loses control." Said Zangetsu coldly; "This is the form which defeated Ulquiorra Cifer but Ichigo wasn't in control and in this form his inner hollow had full reign over his powers. If Ichigo hadn't regained control, his hollow in this form would not have stopped at defeating Ulquiorra but turned on anyone and anything in his path. This is its true nature." At Zangetsu's signal, Hichigo turned and released a cero upon the skyscrapers behind him, causing a vast swathe of obliteration as far as the eye could see.

Rukia fell backwards, both awed and terrified by its power. "So Rukia, knowing what it is capable of, do you still trust Ichigo to keep it under control?" asked Zangetsu, returning Hichigo to his original form as he spoke. Rukia nodded, still shaken by Hichigo's display of power. "Then let me ask you this; if Ichigo lost control and transformed into that creature in Seireitei, what would you do? Would you slay him to protect them? Could you still care for him knowing that he has this creature within him?" asked Zangetsu firmly.

"I would see Seireitei reduced to ashes before I would raise my blade against him!" Replied Rukia vehemently; "No matter what the cost, I would place my trust in Ichigo. I know in my heart that he'd never let that creature win and nothing I have seen here has changed how I feel for him, nor will it ever do so; this I promise you."

"Well, I can see why the king chose you for his queen now." Said Hichigo coldly; "But rest assured, one day I _will _take the crown and then we'll see how true you are to your word." Even as he spoke, Zangetsu absorbed him once more.

"You have passed my test and I deem you worthy of my master. We shall now return to your inner world." said Zangetsu, extending his hand to Rukia. As she took hold of his hand, the world dissolved around her and she found herself passing through a tunnel of light.

Once more she found herself before a doorway. Fully expecting it to reveal the clearing she had left behind, she flung it wide and stepped through. To her surprise, she found herself standing before the pagoda. "How on earth?" Breathed Rukia as she looked around at the surroundings she had not seen I close to a century.

"It was all a part of my plan." Chuckled Sode no Shirayuki; "Or maybe you're referring to how this place has changed; you should already know the answer but if you can't figure it out, ask him." she added, gesturing to Ichigo who was sitting on the bench behind her.

Rukia ran over to Sode no Shirayuki and threw her arms around her. "I missed you so much. I'm sorry I didn't realize that my fear of losing you was stopping you from being able to speak to me." Said Rukia.

"Just as I thought." Chuckled Ichigo.

"What do you mean?" Asked Rukia.

"I knew that your fear was the root of the problem all along." Replied Ichigo.

"Then why didn't you tell me and save me all the trouble and embarrassment of ni-jizen?" Asked Rukia irritably.

"I knew that you wouldn't believe it unless you heard it from Zangetsu. After all, compared to you, I'm still a rookie shinigami, so why would you believe me? However, if a zanpakuto's spirit told you, you'd surely believe it, so I made sure Zangetsu came along for the ride when we initiated ni-jizen." Replied Ichigo casually.

"Ichigo, you can be so infuriating." Growled Rukia; "But thank you. If it weren't for you, I still wouldn't be able to speak to Sode no Shirayuki." She added in a much softer tone.

"So, what do you want to do now?" Asked Ichigo. Rukia didn't answer but walked across to Sode no Shirayuki and embraced her once again.

"It's so great to have this place back to the way it used to be. I hope that we'll get the chance to walk through the forests together soon." Said Rukia delightedly.

"I hope so." Echoed Sode no Shirayuki in agreement; "But back to the present. Do you plan on remaining here with Ichigo and Zangetsu much longer? If do you plan on staying around for a while. I would like to have the opportunity to talk with Zangetsu awhile longer if it's alright with you." She added, blushing a little.

"Do I detect a little romance in the air?" Chuckled Ichigo.

"No, no, no, Zangetsu mentioned that he liked forests, so I thought I'd um show him around, th-that's all." Replied Sode no Shirayuki, blushing profusely

.

"It won't matter if they're here or not. Now that ni-jizen has been performed, their inner worlds have become permanently linked; you could say that we've become neighbours." Said Zangetsu. Ichigo thought he could see that he too was blushing faintly.

"Why don't we leave these two alone then Rukia?" asked Ichigo.

"But I…" Began Rukia.

"It's alright; you'll get the chance to speak to her later." Said Ichigo firmly. "She may be your zanpakuto but I think she deserves a little privacy too." He added half-jokingly.

"I… I guess you're right." Admitted Rukia. "Well, I guess we'll leave for now. I'll speak with you soon." She added, turning to Sode no Shirayuki. No sooner had she finished speaking than she shut her eyes and ended ni-jizen; returning them to Ichigo's room in the blink of an eye.

For awhile, Ichigo just sat there, dazed by the whole experience. He could hardly believe the difference between his and Rukia's inner worlds. Though he'd only had his own as an example, he'd always assumed that they'd be devoid of life save the zanpakuto's spirit. To find that Rukia's world was full of life, not to mention the right way up, made him wonder if his was unusual or if there was just a vast degree of variation between individual inner worlds. Rukia on the other hand was disheartened that she'd been unable to realize that her fear had been the root of the problem all along.

As she pulled her shihakushou back up around her shoulders, she turned to Ichigo and what she saw froze her to the spot. Ichigo was still sitting hunched over deep in thought at the other side of the bed, but as she looked over to him, she saw the massive scars running up and down his back, mementos of his fight with Bayakuya, though she didn't know it. Cautiously, she extended one trembling hand towards him. Gingerly, she ran her fingers down one if the longer scars. Ichigo flinched as he felt her hand on his back but said nothing. "Ichigo, these scars, where did you get them?" She asked, her voice trembling more than her hand as her eyes welled up with tears.

"When you fight, you're bound to get some scars. Most of those came from that first trip to seireitei; I've learned not to let my enemies get behind me since then." Said Ichigo dismissively moving to pull his shirt back up.

Rukia threw her arms around his waist and rested her head between his shoulder blades. "So all these scars... all that pain... for my sake... I… I never knew..." said Rukia sniffling, trying to fight back her tears.

Ichigo pulled free of her embrace and turned to face her. "Don't you dare try saying that you weren't worth it Rukia." Said Ichigo sternly, looking her straight in the eye. She just knelt there open mouthed, her tears flowing silently. "You are worth it to me and so much more. Rescuing you was _my_ decision, and these scars remind me of the price I paid to get you back, knowing that I'd gladly do it again, even a thousand times over if it meant I could see your smile just one more time."

As she looked back into his unwavering eyes it was all too much for Rukia; the sincerity and purity of the love he felt for her overwhelmed her. She fell forward sobbing uncontrollably into his chest. "I... I had now idea how much... how much you cared for me Ichigo... for years since you rescued me I was so cold to you... so ungrateful to you. You... you must have really hated me for it. That I who... who you'd risked your life for didn't thank you and... and even refused to return home with you. I'm... I'm so sorry Ichigo." Sobbed Rukia.

"Rukia, how could I ever hate you? How could I hate the one who I would have gladly given up my life to save? I could no sooner hate you than I could Yuzu or Karin." Said Ichigo warmly. He brushed her shihakushou off her shoulders as he embraced her tightly, pulling her against his bare chest. He began stroking her hair as she sobbed into his chest. "And I wasn't annoyed or even disappointed that you stayed in seireitei. Yes I went there to rescue you, but only from the Soukyoku. Only you could decide where you wanted to be; I never had any intentions of bringing you back home with me if you didn't want to come. If I did that, I would have only saved you from death to make you a prisoner. There's no way I could have done that to you." Whispered Ichigo comfortingly.

Slowly, Rukia sat up and dried her eyes. "I've decided Ichigo, this is what I want..." Said Rukia decidedly.

"What? To sit here crying onto me?" Interjected Ichigo jokingly.

She began again even more determinedly; "No, to be here with you Ichigo, through the good and the bad, I don't ever want to leave you again. I'm going to get this new body tomorrow and if that means losing my powers and never being able to return to soul society, so be it. If I can't take this one small risk after all you've sacrificed for me, I'd never be able to face you again." She could see Ichigo was about to protest so she placed her finger on his lips and continued; "No, I'm not blaming myself again, I'm trying to show you how serious I am, how much you mean to me, and these scars," She ran her finger slowly down the length of one on his chest affectionately; "I'll take my time and heal every single one of them."

"Um, if it's all the same to you, I'd rather not have them removed." Said Ichigo half jokingly.

"I was speaking metaphorically Ichigo." Laughed Rukia as she lay against him. A feeling of utter security washed over her as she sat there, the warmth of his arm draped across her bare chest slowly enveloping her. Gently, she wrapped her hands around his forearm, holding it in place and rested her head against his chest. She closed her eyes and let the feeling engulf her, for once completely content. "Ichigo?" Called Rukia softly, looking up at him. He nodded to show he was listening and she continued; "I've been thinking, about your family, I think we should tell them tonight, before we go to see Urahara."

"Why the sudden change of heart?" Asked Ichigo.

"I've already chosen to take this new body, no matter what the cost, so there's no sense in keeping things a secret any longer." Replied Rukia softly.

"But weren't you worried about how they'd react?" Asked Ichigo, kissing her softly on the head.

"I was, and I still am, but now I want them to accept me, to accept us, more than anything. I know that they'll probably be upset that we, no, I lied to them; that's why I've got to apologize to them as soon as possible. I want to do this Ichigo, so please let me tell them." Said Rukia firmly.

"Alright, but we can't go down like this; for starters you're topless and, seeing as you're not in your gigai, Yuzu wouldn't be able to see you either." Said Ichigo jokingly.

Soon they were back in their bodies and heading downstairs. They found Yuzu and Karin in the living room. Yuzu was looking at some of the photos again whilst Karin sat upside down on the sofa reading a book. "Where's O'san?" Asked Ichigo gruffly.

"He's still in the clinic finishing up. He should be out soon." Replied Karin tiredly.

"Oniichan, I found a second memory card in the camera bag so I decided to have a look through it and I saw that most of the pictures were of you and Rukia hugging and kissing. I thought you said that the two of you weren't together but these pictures make it look like you are. So which is it Oniichan?" Asked Yuzu teasingly.

"You never said anything to me Yuzu." Said Karin playfully as she rolled over to look at the screen. Sure enough the picture from their second trip to the beach was on display. "Well well Rukia, I didn't think you'd go in for skinny dipping. I guess you got a little bolder over there." Teased Karin.

"She wasn't skinny dipping; her costume didn't have any shoulder straps that's all." Said Ichigo defensively whilst Rukia stood mute and blushing behind him.

Just then Isshin burst in; "Did someone say something about skinny dipping?" He asked as he barrelled into the room.

"Shut it Ero Goat-Chin. Trust your ears to catch that out of the whole conversation, you're totally hopeless." Said Karin angrily.

Isshin slumped and fell to his knees. "Daddy's sad now. You've hurt my feelings." Pined Isshin.

"He's lucky that's all I hurt." Chuckled Karin under her breath. "So, now that the idiot's quiet, what were you going to say Ichi-nii?" Asked Karin. Ichigo stood there silently and nodded to Rukia, waiting for her to make her move.

She stepped forward and bowed low. "I'm deeply sorry for deceiving you earlier. My heart wasn't ready to tell you back then but I am ready now. I hope you'll forgive me for the deception. The truth is that Ichigo and I are 'together' as you put it Yuzu. He confessed to me during the holiday and I accepted his feelings and confessed my feelings to him." She then walked over to Isshin and knelt before him. She spoke up once more determinedly; "I know I may not be wealthy, skilled or even a capable homemaker, but I truly love him so I ask you, please allow me to date your son." Her eyes were welling up with tears as she looked up at him awaiting his response. Everyone was taken aback by her formality; even Isshin was surprised as he looked into the eyes of the young woman who now knelt before him.

Isshin began sternly; "Rukia; you've certainly surprised my by saying that you'd want to date him; he's a drifter, a troublemaker and a slacker…."

"I'm sorry for interrupting you but Ichigo is none of those things!" Said Rukia vehemently; "He's strong, hardworking, honest and caring, there's nobody else I'd rather be with!"

"Oh is that the case?" began Isshin, still stern and unfeeling; "If that's how you truly feel about him, I have no choice but to grant you my permission and give you my blessing." Isshin was beaming at her by the time he finished speaking and as his words sunk in, Rukia smiled back at him, tears of joy flowing in rivulets down her cheeks. Offering her his hand, he helped her up and pulled her into his embrace. "Welcome to the family." He added warmly before releasing her and looking over to Ichigo who stood there smiling contentedly.

"I think it's a bit soon for that welcome." Chuckled Ichigo; "It's not like we've just returned after eloping or anything." Rukia blushed crimson at the thought but a hint of a smile suggested that she wasn't totally opposed to the idea.

"Um… how should I address you now Rukia-san?" Asked Yuzu tentatively. Rukia coloured a little and looked over to Ichigo for support but he just leant against the wall and said nothing. He'd decided that if Rukia was going to go through with this and become part of the family, she'd have to get used to dealing with issues like this by herself.

"Geez, you're no help." Sighed Rukia. She then turned to Yuzu; "I don't really mind, just use what you think is best." Replied Rukia.

"Then… then do you mind if I call you Rukia oneesan?" Asked Yuzu, slightly more confident.

Rukia was taken aback by her reply. It was plain as day that Yuzu who, three weeks ago, was suspicious and uneasy when she and Ichigo went to town together, had now accepted her wholeheartedly and was asking to address her as a member of her own family, as an elder sister. With Yuzu showing that she had not only accepted her, but also respected her. How could she refuse her request? "If that's what you want Yuzu, I don't mind." Said Rukia, a lone tear trickling down her cheek as she remembered her own oneesan, Hisana. Rukia strode over and embraced Yuzu; "I'm so happy that you've welcomed me into your family like this; I've been so worried about you would react when we told you."

"How could I not welcome you when I've seen how happy you've made my Oniichan?" Replied Yuzu, smiling warmly, a lone tear trickling down her cheek.

"Thanks Yuzu." Said Ichigo, patting his sister on the head, smiling warmly at them both.

"Yo, Ruki-nee;" Called Karin from the sofa, surprising her with her choice of nickname; "If you really are going to be part of this family, there's one thing that you've got to know. That is that when it comes to this one here;" she gestured toward Isshin; "he's like an unruly puppy; so don't hesitate to correct him if he steps out of line. If you let him get away with something even once, he's sure to think it's alright to do it again and then it becomes a lot harder to stop."

"Don't you have any respect for your old man?" Asked Isshin desperately.

"Geez, it's like I said. You're just like an unruly puppy; I punish you because I care about you. If I didn't you'd only end up getting yourself hurt." Said Karin fustratedly.

"Isshin leapt up grinning from ear to ear; "So you _do_ love me." He said with glee as he romped about the room. Karin facepalmed at his reaction; knowing full well that she'd brought this on herself. Rukia chuckled as she realized the role reversal that exists between Karin and Isshin.

"So Rukia, don't you think it's time we headed back upstairs? I mean, we do have an early start tomorrow after all." Said Ichigo, checking the clock on the wall which now read eleven o'clock.

"So what have you two got planned which requires such an early start. You couldn't possibly be thinking of eloping are you?" Asked Isshin playfully.

"Just drop it already." Growled Karin, punching him in the ribs. "See what I mean Rukia? You need to use a firm hand with this one." Added Karin instructively. Rukia nodded feebly.

"We've got to get some of the photos printed and get the ones of Maneki copied and sent off to Bruce. I've also got some shopping to do around town." Explained Ichigo, hoping that his father would drop the topic.

"Well, goodnight then." Said Isshin at last. Ichigo and Rukia said goodnight to him, Yuzu and Karin then plodded upstairs. "Oh and I don't want any funny business going on up there you two!" shouted Isshin after them, earning himself another punch from Karin.

Rukia flopped face first onto the bed whilst Ichigo stood behind her and began to change into his pyjamas. Suddenly, she mumbled something into the pillow. "What was that?" Asked Ichigo.

"I can't believe I actually told them." Said Rukia as she rolled over, a licentious smile spreading across her face as she saw Ichigo standing there in nothing more than his boxers. Part of her wanted to release all of her pent up feelings and take him there and then, but she knew that his family would hear them for sure and she definitely didn't want that. She felt that she had to be all the more careful now that his family knew, yet she could not help but examine his chiselled features with eager eyes.

"What is it Rukia?" Asked Ichigo as he noticed her staring at him. She merely blushed and turned away, too embarrassed by her own emotions to reply. "Aren't you going to change?" He asked as he lay down beside her; he knew that asking if she wanted to sleep with him was now pointless. She didn't reply but merely pulled off her t-shirt and threw it into the corner of the room then did the same with her jeans and shot Ichigo a slight grin, almost inviting him to make a move; that way she could blame it on him if they were found out. Ichigo on the other had was far to concerned about the morning to be interested in that right now. He was still concerned about this new gigai and what it'd mean for them as far as Soul Society was concerned.

Eventually, Rukia got up and tidied away her clothes then slipped into her nightie, seeing as Ichigo was not in the mood tonight. "I hope he's not lost interest already." She thought, but almost instantly dismissed the thought. There was no way that he'd lose interest in her so quickly. She laughed a little at her own worrying then got into bed beside him.

"So what did she mean by 'but if you can't figure it out, ask him.'?" Asked Rukia. She'd been pondering that question for a while now.

"She meant that I brought about the changes." Said Ichigo, somewhat embarrassedly.

"You didn't do anything with… or _to_ her did you? Even if she is a part of me; that would still count as cheating." Said Rukia dubiously.

"What sort of a guy do you think I am?" asked Ichigo in an offended tone. He then went on to recount Sode no Shirayuki's explanation as to why the ice and snow had receded.

"I can't believe that she didn't say anything about it to me for all these years." Said Rukia disheartened.

"She didn't say anything for your sake; she knew that if she tried to force you to break the seal too soon, you would only fall back into despair, so she bore with it for your sake out of her love for you." Explained Ichigo.

"Why didn't I realize that? Why was I happy just letting her suffer for so long? How can I even call myself her friend after all I put her through?" Said Rukia gloomily.

"It's obvious isn't it?" Replied Ichigo, draping his arm around her shoulders; "You didn't realize it because you couldn't. Remember, your emotions and feelings were sealed away. You didn't let her suffer, she chose to bear with it; she could have told you at any time but she didn't. It was her choice; she couldn't bear the thought of seeing you fall into despair once more. Likewise; she wouldn't want you to start blaming yourself for it, just as you are trying to do now, so let it go and thank her for it when you speak to her next, alright?"

"Alright, but answer me this; why is it that you figured all this out having only known her for one day when I who have known her nearly my whole life could not?" Asked Rukia, drying her eyes.

"Well, she and I have one very important thing in common; we both love you with all our hearts. I could understand what she did and her reasons for doing it because she did just what I would have done were I in her shoes. Now let's try to get some rest; it looks like tomorrow is going to be a big day for us." Said Ichigo warmly as he embraced her. "Goodnight Rukia." He whispered, kissing her softly. She smiled brightly in reply and snuggled into him and was soon fast asleep.

The next morning they awoke together and dressed quickly, both of them both eager and anxious about getting this new gigai. Ichigo slipped the pictures of Maneki and his camera into his rucksack. "Alright Rukia, let's get going." He said as cheerfully as he could.

Heading out into the crisp morning air, they headed first for the shopping district to take care of copying the pictures for Bruce. "So, which ones do you think we should send him?" asked Rukia as they reached the shop where Ichigo had bought the camera about three weeks earlier.

"Well, we'll send him all of the ones from the trip to Brisbane and the ones from his house. I guess we'll send him some of the ones from the Shark and Ray Centre too then a few random ones on top of that. That reminds me, we've got to email the shots from the Shark and Ray Centre off to them later, don't let me forget." Replied Ichigo as he slotted his memory card into the machine and began highlighting the pictures he wanted to print.

"Could you see if they can copy these ones?" Asked Ichigo, handing Rukia the pictures of Maneki. Rukia agreed and headed over to the counter.

"Good morning, how may I be of service today?" Asked the assistant courteously.

"Could you please copy these for me?" Asked Rukia. The assistant took the photos and examined them.

"How many copies would you like and would you like me to change the scale on any of them?" Asked the assistant. Rukia had no idea so she rushed back over to Ichigo and relayed her questions to him.

"Just tell her that we need two copies of the full set and to keep the scale the same." Said Ichigo, barely turning away from the monitor.

Once again, Rukia relayed the message and the assistant took the pictures away to be copied. Soon Ichigo joined her at the counter with a printout from the machine.

"Good morning, how may I be of assistance today?" Asked the assistant once again.

"Could I pay for these and the copies that my girlfriend asked for, oh and do you know how long that it will take?" he asked.

"It'll take a day to complete the prints and copies and the total is two thousand yen." Replied the assistant. Ichigo thanked her and paid for the photos then headed out into the shopping district once again, heading for Urahara's

They found Jinta and Ururu sweeping the front of the store once again. "Hi you two, back so soon?" called Jinta, swinging his broom up onto his shoulder.

"Yeah, we're looking to speak to Hat'n'Clogs about a very important matter, is he in?" replied Ichigo.

"Yeah, he's where I left him, sleeping in the shop." Replied Jinta with a somewhat disgruntled expression.

"I don't know why I even asked, is he ever anywhere else?" Joked Ichigo.

"You've got that right, all he does is sleeps whilst we do all the chores." Replied Jinta enthusiastically but the colour drained from his face as he felt the towering presence of Tessai behind him.

"You wouldn't be speaking ill of the manager now would you Jinta-kun?" said Tessai coldly.

"N…n…no I wasn't" Stammered Jinta as he sprinted over behind Ururu for cover.

"Ah, miss Kuchiki and mister Kurosaki, what can we do for you?" Asked Tessai, turning to face them.

"We are here to see Urahara about a private matter which can't be discussed out here." Replied Rukia flatly but courteously.

"Naturally; the manager is currently within. If you would be so kind as to follow me." Replied Tessai, gesturing towards Urahara Shōten. They followed him inside and he stopped just inside the door; "Manager, you have some visitors." He called in his booming voice.

Urahara sprang up from where he had been napping, adjusted his hat and dusted himself down; "Ah, I didn't expect to see the two of you so soon, though maybe I should have from what Yoruichi told me she saw. Was there a problem with the passport?" Asked Urahara in his usual cheery aloof tone.

"No, the passport worked fine. I'm here to see you about the matter I visited you about two years ago. Wait, what was that about Yoruichi?" Asked Rukia.

"Don't you remember seeing me two nights ago? Did you forget my appearance so soon, especially you Ichigo who did this to my poor tail." Said Yoruichi as she strolled in cat form out of the back of the shop. Ichigo and Rukia exchanged embarrassed looks. It seemed that at least two of their friends had found out after all.

"So, what was it you wanted again?" Asked Urahara evasively.

"She came here to ask about the more advanced type of gigai." Said Ichigo firmly.

"Ah, so you've gone _that far_ already and found the gigai's limitation so you want an upgrade so you can go to the next level as it were." Said Yoruichi seductively.

"No, that's not it at all." Said Rukia, red faced. "At least that's not the only reason." She added in an embarrassed whisper.

"Anyway, Gigai are gigai, there's only one kind, or did you want to upgrade its appearance?" Replied Urahara jovially, continuing Yoruichi's jest.

"You told me that there was another type before and I won't allow you to deny it now." Barked Rukia.

"I was telling the truth; there _is_ only one type of gigai, there is however another type of body which I told you about." Said Urahara apologetically.

"Yes, that's what I want." Demanded Rukia.

"I think we'd better continue this downstairs. Said Urahara, leading them once more into his underground training area.

"What does it have to do with this place?" Asked Ichigo.

"Just follow me." Said Urahara, leading them toward a rocky outcropping. He tapped one large rock with the end of his cane and to their surprise it groaned and slid aside to reveal a door. Once inside, they found themselves in a strange laboratory. "Welcome to my lab." Said Urahara triumphantly.

"So what is this new body then?" Prompted Ichigo.

"Ah it's my crowning achievement; the corporeal body! You see, when I made the gigai, everyone thought I'd perfected human emulation in a device which a shinigami could occupy at need. In fact I hadn't, for that wasn't my goal in creating the gigai; I'd merely sought to perfect the emulation of the appearance of humanity and in that goal I had succeeded. Their remarks did spark my curiosity and I began to wonder if it would be possible to completely emulate every vestige of humanity in a single artificial entity. In secret, I began experimenting on this concept and found that although I could emulate the physical form down to the last cell, it would not work effectively; the user had even more limited control and sensation than with a standard gigai.

I realized that the problem wasn't in the creation of the body but in making that body compatible with the user. Try as I might, I just couldn't overcome this hurdle. Then one night it came to me; every human is unique, so I had to replicate this uniqueness in the body. I was euphoric; I could see that the end was clearly in sight but one question still hung over me. How could I replicate that uniqueness? I had to replicate what caused that uniqueness, but what caused it? It only took a little research to come up with the answer; deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA.

I now had one half of the solution but I still needed to find the spirit analogue of DNA. Needless to say, that was much harder to find. It was only after taking samples from many shinigami and even some souls from Rukongai that I eventually found the answer. Like DNA in humans, every soul has a unique formation of reishi that is found in every cell. I named it Tenkaichi Reishi Ikisatsu or TRI for short. Now I had both DNA and TRI identified, all I had to do was find a way of turning TRI into DNA then growing the body from that converted DNA.

It took me a while but I managed to do it and naturally I used my own TRI for the initial trial. It worked perfectly; there was none of the lag, loss of sensation or loss of dexterity that plagued the gigai. This body also resulted in heightened sensation and therefore a much clearer perception of the environment. Another feature was that, along with the ability to procreate, this body would age naturally unlike gigai which tended to age either very slowly or extremely quickly." Explained Urahara. He saw that he'd lost his audience somewhere along the way so he began again; "Fine then, let me explain it like this: think of the gigai as a very realistic doll. No matter how much you make it look and feel like a real body, it can never be a real body. The Corporeal body on the other hand is a real flesh and blood body down to the finest detail grown from the shinigami's converted TRI." Now that they fully understood, they were both impressed with what he'd created.

"Well, can you create one for me?" Asked Rukia hopefully.

"Of course not." Said Urahara flatly.

"Why is that?" Asked Rukia desperately.

"It's illegal." Replied Urahara.

"Oh come on; you've never let that stop you before." Said Ichigo jovially.

"This is different;" Began Urahara coldly; "Genryusai and I put these laws in place together for a myriad of reasons."

"Then why show us at all if there's no way for her to get one." Asked Ichigo fustratedly.

"I never said that there wasn't a way. All that she has to do is get a signed writ of permission from both her captain, Jushiro Ukitake I believe, and the Captain Commander Yamamoto Genryusai himself." Replied Urahara.

"Then I guess we're off to Soul Society again." Said Ichigo, turning to Rukia.

"I guess so. I'm sorry that this has turned out to be such an ordeal." Replied Rukia

"It's alright, let's just go and get these writs then we can putt it all behind us." Said Ichigo cheerily.

"Very well, and Urahara you'd better be ready to create one for me when we get back." She said firmly and with that they headed out to prepare for their trip to Soul Society.

A.N.

I'm sorry that this chapter took so long to complete but I hit a wall with it that I couldn't pass for nearly six months straight, namely the slideshow section. The task of recapping the last two chapters whilst avoiding repetition and giving a wholly new experience was certainly challenging to say the least. Please let me know what you thought of it. I hope that the visit to Rukia's inner world was acceptable, please let me know what you thought of it. In the time since the last chapter a lot of, well, life has got in the way; Moving house, deaths and a marriage, not mine, all came to pass, each bringing with them varying levels of distraction from finishing this chapter. Please rate and review as always, I love reading your feedback. I'd also like to ask you a question regarding an event coming up a few chapters ahead; do you think that the wedding should be Japanese or western style. I'm pretty confident about writing either type but I want to know what you think about the issue. The next chapter will see them back in Soul Society for the most part. Thank you very much for reading Much More Than Black and White. Until next time; sayonara.


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